Switch
by Saqqara13
Summary: “Do you suffer from the delusion that you and Sasuke are not criminals?” His breath tickled her ear as he whispered, “Sakura... you are.” Sakura is haunted by nightmares. Can she keep them from becoming a reality, and bring him back? ItaSaku, SasuSaku
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Italics – Sakura's thoughts, or a dream sequence

These events occur pre-time skip.

_**Prologue**_

* * *

_Her hands were shaking. She looked through at the world with trembling lenses, eyes searching wildly for someone, somewhere, anyone who could help her understand what was happening. She didn't want to look down at her hands again. She didn't want it to be so sickeningly red, his blood dripping thickly into her eyes and sliding from her fingers. The tears only washed away so much of it… there was so much…_

"…_not again… oh please, not again!" She rasped, weeping, looking down at Naruto's shocked and lifeless face._

_Sasuke's laughter echoed through the trees, receding, as she mourned them both, now._

* * *

Sakura awoke violently, bolting upright in bed with clenched teeth, clutching the kunai now always under her pillow. Sucking air desperately, she swallowed through a dry throat and wiped the sweat from her brow.

The dreams were happening almost every night now, becoming more and more frequent over the years. Each night it seemed that they became more _real_, more difficult to distinguish from reality.

_Naruto, would you do that? What would you do? Would you force me to make that choice?_

It had been almost 4 years now since Sasuke left to go to Orochimaru. He was a traitor, a missing-nin, and who knew what had transpired during his time with the snake sannin? Had he done his dirty work? Ushered resisting experimental bodies to Kabuto? Brought him sacrifices, children? And maybe the most painful question… did she care? All she wanted was to see him again, touch his face, embrace him tightly… she didn't want to know what he'd done and she didn't care. That was the truth. A pang of guilt swept through her. In her more lucid moments, though, she admitted this much to herself. She'd do anything for Sasuke. Even now.

Her dreams were proof of that. The subconscious doesn't lie.

A warm breeze blew through her open windows, the blue moonlight spilling over her long pink tresses. Shaking her head, she breathed deeply, slowly through her nose and out her mouth.

…_calm down, breathe, calm down…_

When they'd heard the news of an Akatsuki attack on Orochimaru's Sound compound, they feared the worst of course. Konoha was likely too late to intervene to get Sasuke away, and could not (no, indeed, _would_ not) commit Konoha's forces to retrieve him, knowing Orochimaru had another deadly enemy stalking him. They'd decided to let them battle, in hopes that one or both sides would suffer enough casualties to make their eventual intervention more feasible. It was argued that it was simply not worth it to save Sasuke. Tsunade had gone with the council on that.

Sakura, on the other hand, refused to give up. She held stubbornly to the hope that she would see him again, touch him again. She swore on that day that Naruto returned, empty-handed, that she would never sit back and expect others to do everything. It was past time for her to stop looking at her teammate's backs. Naruto would smile sadly when she'd bring up the subject, his oceanic blue eyes betraying for a moment his rare lack of faith.

From there on, she'd studied under the Hokage herself, and Tsunade taught her everything she knew; how to be a medic-nin and their role in a team ("It's your job to stay alive, so that your team stays alive; stay unnoticed, and when you are caught, dodge like hell – remember that."). She learned how to gather and explode her chakra, demolishing anything she connected a punch or a kick on. She studied genjutsu under Kurenai, and even came up with a few of her own.

For a long time, she was allowed simply to train and take on duties at the hospital. She was a regular medic there and was largely the main medic-nin on staff, as Tsunade was of course busy with her other tasks most of the time. She'd attained jounin rank in the last year, but was most needed at the hospital, rather than missions.

Then the dreams started.

It wasn't until they'd persisted, happening almost once a week, that she started to become… haunted. Afraid. There had to be a way to stop them; perhaps it was simply that she knew, somewhere deep inside, that she was still weak, she still wasn't good enough? _Sasuke…_

She took up weapon training, learning to wield sai, long dagger-like weapons with tsuba, two points extending up from the bottom of the blade, useful for disarming – one in each hand and one tucked in her belt on reserve. She spent countless hours on the training grounds, bristling with traps, improving her speed and perception. She'd started to do that blindfolded. She even trained with Naruto and his army of Kage Bunshin, using tiny, precise shots of chakra to increase her speed to evade, and her medical expertise to increase the sensitivity of her eyes, reducing the time it took for messages to enter them and be relayed to her brain.

No one ever accused Sakura Haruno of being stupid.

Despite all of this, she was still afraid of a lot of things. Afraid of Akatsuki, afraid of what might one day happen to Naruto if he got out of control, afraid of her own loyalties. The dreams made her question that. Sometimes, Sasuke would come to her repentant, begging forgiveness and return. He'd hold her, stroking her hair gently, his fingers tracing her jaw, a look of need and tenderness in his eyes… other times, he'd battle fiercely with Naruto, who screamed Sasuke's betrayal to the sky, his anger and pain ripping a hole in her heart, Sakura paralyzed with fear and ineffectual... until the final moments. It was maddening.

_They're so real now… once, I could touch him and awaken tingling from the contact, my skin warmed as if he'd been holding me…_

This one, tonight's dream, this was different. After Sakura had saved him… Sasuke left this time, laughing, the ghostly echo of a mirthless chuckle blistering her ears. What could this mean?

She shook her head again, tears welling in her eyes and seeping into her blankets. It was enough. It was all she needed. It had now been almost four years since Sasuke left for Orochimaru. Sound had been decimated in the recent Akatsuki attack, but that was the only place she knew to look for him; if Orochimaru hadn't taken his body yet, it would be ripe for a transfer now. It was time.

* * *

_A/N: _Reviews are much appreciated. :)


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 1**_

* * *

The morning dawned bright and warm; it was spring in Konoha. Sakura awoke on her pillow, her jade eyes opening slowly, languidly, her long cherry blossom hair warmed by a soft breeze. She rose, motes of dust dancing in the stream of morning light. There had been no more dreams last night, and there had been no lingering warmth from the wraith like touches she'd received in dreams past. Nothing but cold.

Methodically, she stepped out of her bed and smoothed the sheets. It was a routine, a comfort. The last time. She slipped her nightgown over her head, dressing in her under things and slipping into her hospital garb; simple black pants, a white t-shirt, covered with her white medical robe. She couldn't have anyone suspecting anything; she had a regular shift today. She'd meet Naruto for lunch at Ichiraku, as she always did.

Turning, her form came into view in a full-length mirror on her bedroom door. She'd grown, nearly as tall as a tall Naruto now, and deciding to let her hair grow to the middle of her back, strands in front framing her soft face, now less round and childlike. She pulled her hair up and rolled it into a pair of sticks.

_I am a grown woman now. I am not a child, I am not weak. And I am not waiting for anyone anymore._

Brave words, indeed.

* * *

"Sakura-sensei, there is a case I need your help with in Room 210. Can you assist?"

It had taken some time to get used to being called sensei. Naturally she'd started teaching at the academy some of the medical arts she'd learned from Tsunade. There was no one above her now, other than Tsunade herself. Still, these things didn't add up to a battle kunoichi, she thought bitterly. She hadn't tested out her training in a real mission situation yet; did she truly measure up?

_I wonder how much of my other training Tsunade even knows about. She might not approve._

"Hai," she responded brightly. "Hand me the chart there. Let's get to work."

* * *

Naruto paced outside Ichiraku, his nose sniffing the air appreciatively.

"Ahhhhhh… AH! Sakura-chan! You're LATE!" He pointed in accusation, gesticulating wildly as Sakura jogged to him.

She giggled. He was still such a kid.

"Sorry, Naruto. I had a tough case at the hospital this morning. But I'm hungry! Let's eat, eh?" A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes in that moment. She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him in and resting her head on his chest. He looked down, shocked, and encircled her in his arms, his cheek resting on her hair. His brows knit.

"Sakura-chan, what'd I do to deserve this?" He tensed. "Am I in trouble? Are you about to sock me with those evil monstrous fists of yours?"

Silence.

"Hunh? No yelling at me for calling your fists monstrous?"

She reluctantly released him from her embrace. "Nah. I mean, I should be nice to you, since you're buying right?" She smiled pleasantly, her eyes crinkled in happiness. It was important to see him now.

"Gaaah, Sakura-chan, you tricked me!" His lips pursed comically, deep in thought. "Hey wait a minute, does that mean this is a date?"

"Sure, Naruto. It's a date. Now quit talking and feed me!"

He grinned wide enough to burst a capillary or two, then happily obliged.

* * *

Her shift was over, and she began her walk back from the hospital. It was mid-evening, the sun had just set; she'd spent some extra time there tonight, clearing up odds and ends. She paused for a moment.

_Am I really doing this? Am I really leaving? …Sasuke… yes. _

It was odd, now, after all this time, to begin thinking that she really didn't know him all that well. It seemed as if it didn't really matter; her heart really hadn't given her much choice. The slightest acknowledgment from him, no matter how miniscule, was enough to send her into a bubbling good mood for days. She smiled. No, it was true it wasn't the most logical thing in the world, but it was real.

Sakura's feet pivoted, and began walking an unusual path. Her thoughts continued to meander, to Ino, to Shikamaru, to Hinata, even Neji. And Lee. Of course. As difficult as it was, she simply didn't have any feelings for him, and it made her heart sink when she'd broken it to him. Although lately, he and Tenten seemed to be getting along well enough.

Sakura's steps stopped. Her eyes rose slowly from her feet, to the building in front of her. The gray stone wall had seen better days; it was crumbling and completely broken in several places – vandals had seen to that. A swath of black paint had covered what used to be emblazoned on the once proud stone – the Uchiha fan.

_Sasuke… if you could only see what they've done. You have to come back. This legacy is tarnished, but you can save it. We__can save it, together… maybe…_

Her gaze traveled to the rusted iron gate. She peered in every direction, seeking intruders. Sensing none, she gathered her courage and stepped through the threshold, the metal screeching open in protest. None dared to enter here for a long time.

Sakura moved into the compound. There was a shop, and several modest houses in the beginning; the windows were long since broken. As she continued walking, she looked up at a full moon peering over a telephone pole; its light was kindly, forgiving. But she couldn't ignore the chill in the air. She took in the walls, pock-marked and decaying.

Her eyes narrowed as her ears caught the slightest of sounds; a rock skidding across the ground – her sensitive vision picked up its location, in front of a larger house in the compound. Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine. What the hell was she doing here? It didn't feel right now. It felt horribly, horribly wrong; fear crept into her, a trembling shudder wracking her body. Why was it suddenly so cold?

_Dammit, why am I so scared? Big words you said to yourself today, MOUSE. PICK YOURSELF UP! Move. MOVE! You wanted answers, seek them._

Her feet dragged, coaxing the settled dust into puffs. Instinct moved her body, her keen aqua eyes scanning every detail minutely, legs plodding, heavily, finally stopping before a door. She didn't know where she was, and her logical mind was screaming at her to flee. But…

_Move. Move. MOVE._

Sakura's eyes suddenly latched onto an irregularity in the dust; a print, just barely the slightest indentation, a whisper of _difference_.

_Idiot, LEAVE, there is danger here._

Her thoughts battled her inner self; fight or flight rushing adrenaline through her veins. But she had opened the door now. The threshold gaped wide, and she had to see.

It was very dark in the house. The once kindly moonlight now cast long shadows on the interior, ghosting obscured geometry on the surfaces. Each movement and flex of muscle was stiff and painstaking, gravity an enemy now.

Some rooms had more light than others; as she stepped across thresholds, her fingers sought and searched the walls, blindly attaching to solid wood and pawing along the counters and shelves. A squeak escaped her as she knocked something to the ground, the tinkling of shattering glass greeting her ears. A kitchen; she'd knocked over a picture. Picking it up, the broken frame nicked her finger. Wincing, she brought the injured digit to her lips and sucked, peering at the contents of the broken treasure.

It was the Uchiha family. A child; grinning Sasuke was in front, and a beautiful woman was behind him with her hand on his shoulder, her long raven hair gleaming. Beside her was their father, austere and chiseled, his eyes set deeply and a pair of lines drawing outward from his nose. On the other side of Sasuke was a hole, raggedly ripped from the portrait, a single hand visible beside it.

Her pulse quickened, heart sending irregular pulses of blood through her veins. She was wrong to be here. This was where Sasuke's family had been murdered. She never, ever should have crossed this boundary. She was keenly aware, now, that she stood in the middle of a cheerless graveyard, uneasy spirits surely roamed here.

_Sasuke… how did you handle this? How did you live with this? Why did you not let anyone comfort you…_

She kept staring at the portrait, her eyes welling with tears. As she set it down, a tiny spot of blood stained the ripped edge of the photo, and she ran out of the house and out of the compound as quickly as her legs could carry her.

* * *

Sakura's return to her apartment was quick. More than anything, she had to get out now, was ready and willing, and prepared to let everything go for his sake. She had to pry him out of that darkness.

Hastily, she changed to her mission garb; black shorts and a white skirt with slits all the way to her hips for freedom of movement. A form-fitting red sleeveless shirt, followed by her shuriken holster on the left thigh, bandaged carefully. Her belt carried another two pouches, one for exploding tags, wire, and kunai; another for medical supplies and herbs. Finally her sai were tucked into sheaths on either side, and one in the small of her back. Her boots slipped on and strapped up to her knees, and she donned a pair of long, fingerless gloves backed by metal.

A small backpack was packed with essentials for fires and some food; a tarp and her jounin jacket.

She was ready.

* * *

Her journey began uneventfully; there had been no one looking for her, and thankfully her timing worked out well – she'd already asked Tsunade for some time off from her hospital duties to study, so she wouldn't be expected in the usual places for the next week. Having plotted her course in advance, she should reach Sound in approximately three days, presuming no issues or weather to hinder her.

There had been precious few clues as to Sasuke's potential whereabouts. It had to be assumed that Orochimaru had abandoned his previous complex in Sound; the Akatsuki attack had been reported to have been brutal, but it was suspected that Orochimaru had barely escaped, presumably along with some of his core followers – Kabuto and his elite shinobi. Sasuke could well be among them. Sakura had to shake off the possibility of Orochimaru having taken Sasuke's body; Sasuke would _never_ allow that. Ever. How could he realize his dream of revenge if he was not in his body to do it? Although the precise mechanics of the technique were elusive, it stood to reason that the body's soul would be eradicated. That certainly seemed to be the case with the poor body of the Grass nin they'd encountered in the Forest of Death.

Sakura slowed as it came to sundown the following day. She'd been traveling at a decent clip since the previous evening, and desperately needed to rest. Her initial vigilance had waned, and without a break she'd be too vulnerable. Choosing a small clearing on the forest floor, she carefully began setting traps and preparing camp.

Her hands walked through two familiar seals. "Obfuscation Jutsu." The genjutsu slowly surrounded her camp in shifting shadows, causing anyone to view it to have trouble focusing on any one spot, and keeping her campfire reasonably difficult to notice.

Satisfied with her work, Sakura curled up in her blanket beside the fire and settled in for sleep. She hoped it would be dreamless… and in the end, leaving Konoha in this way, she thought perhaps she'd evaded the cruel fate they depicted.

* * *

She had been targeted for months now. He mused briefly on how simple it was. Konoha had not detected his presence, not once, despite repeated entries and exits to infiltrate her apartment. Initially, he thought his plan was flawed; he could not continually come here without risking detection regularly.

But, lacking wartimes, Konoha had become soft. Even after the invasion of Sound, they had not established an effective perimeter. This could potentially be attributed to a decline in the number of available shinobi. The Hokage was busied with convincing the neighboring countries that they were strong and flush, prepared to take on any mission at any time.

Foolish.

Although, to be fair, keeping Uchiha Itachi out of anywhere he wished to be was decidedly difficult.

A tug at the corners of his lips beneath his Akatsuki robes betrayed no movement in his eyes.

He had heard of the Yamanaka clan, and indeed had been part of missions with the clan head, Inoichi. Itachi had copied the clever mind techniques from him with his Sharingan, and was pleased with his foresight. How perfect a compliment to Tsukiyomi it had become. His victim's minds lay bare and open as a book as he sought, prodding and prying through their treasured memories, manipulating them and crafting them, an exquisite torture.

The Haruno girl had at first proven somewhat challenging in this arena. He'd intended to begin by prying her open and learning her mind to use with his illusions, but there was resistance; a "second will" almost, battled to repel his entry. He quieted this with some simple illusions, having determined one thing without mining her psyche – she was pathetically spellbound by one Uchiha Sasuke. All it took was the breath, the insinuation of him and she calmed, allowing him to work.

At first, Itachi sought the immediate information he required for the illusions he'd planned to conjure; simple enough, she would do nearly anything for the sake of Sasuke, repeatedly in her life she'd sacrificed things for him – her friendship with Ino, most notably. She'd even offered to go with him when he went to Orochimaru; she would have completely shrugged off her comfortable life in Konoha, leaving Naruto and everything else behind, regardless of their wishes. Itachi did not enjoy bringing his brother into his work, but it was clearly the most efficient route to his desired endpoint.

As it became easier, he began to plumb her for more, seeking further ammunition. She'd grown up happy; loving parents, warm afternoons picking flowers with Ino. Birthday parties, festivals, success in the Academy, though beyond that, she did not display any particular affinity for her chosen craft. She was intelligent enough, but not powerful. Her parents worried about her incessantly. In short, she'd been coddled and pampered. She was not fit for the life of a true kunoichi.

Then he sought more recent memories. Sasuke's smirk and the occasional smile. She viewed him in a soft light. A vision of Sasuke riddled with kunai sent her reeling to a dead faint – she awoke doubting herself. Another vision of Sasuke as a pincushion for senbon awakened intense sadness and fear. Another, when it is revealed that for once, her savior on a mission turned out to be Naruto; a slight softening for him. Acute fear as she watched Naruto and Sasuke battling, each poised with a deadly technique blazing in their hands, a rivalry. She was intensely attached to those who were important to her. Meanwhile, Naruto fawned over her, while Sasuke appeared to detest her.

She was completely oblivious to what Sasuke truly was, what he had become.

It was this weakness he would exploit. It was fascinating to watch it unfold; she hadn't grown at all, she had not learned from her failures. Not at first. Strangely, as his sessions continued, her attachments and his illusions appeared to become reason enough for her to train harder, coming home now only to sleep. She was hardening her resolve, but still completely entangled emotionally to her companions. When she'd return from the hospital or a day of training, she looked resolute, focused, as she meditated. But then, in her dreams, and as she slept, her face softened, and she succumbed to her childlike state again. She'd dream of a field of flowers sometimes, before he began his brutal ministrations.

Itachi halted these thoughts.

The question was, when the time came… would she truly go as far as he intended her to?

* * *

Sakura awoke, her heart beating at full gallop. Something had tripped her barrier. On full alert, her back erect and her fingers wrapping around the grip of her sai, she crouched into a defensive stance and scanned the area for a chakra signature.

It was unmistakable. Naruto. His chakra was like a quivering bomb, ready to flare at a moments notice.

_Dammit! I thought I'd covered my tracks… he must've followed me by scent. But this isn't over yet. He hasn't seen through my genjutsu. He was always weak there._

Staying crouched low, she formed seals. "Enveloping Mist Jutsu." A whisper of moisture coalesced over her campfire, the logs and coals becoming sodden and dying with a puff a smoke.

Naruto came into eyeshot, panting, his eyes searching fruitlessly. He sniffed the air, but his expression was frustrated, vague.

"Sakura!" Naruto howled. He sounded angry. He shook his head as if clearing away cobwebs, snarling. "SAKURA! I know you're here somewhere! I don't know what you're planning, but you can't do this alone!" He looked down at the ground. His blue eyes half-lidded, he sighed gently. "You can't do this alone. You can't. I made a promise…"

In that moment, Sakura was incensed. She bit back a snarl of her own, some choice words hovering in her vocal chords; he'd failed to bring him back before, his promise unfulfilled. _Naruto… go away… _ She shook her head, the thoughts feeling vaguely alien..

Suddenly, his anger came roaring back, and he swiveled, crouched like a beast, ripping clods of earth under his fingers – it reminded her briefly of Kiba. "Come out. COME OUT, BASTARD!"

Sakura felt the rush of a new chakra signature, foreign, or perhaps just… _bigger_ than she'd previously known. Her eyes darted across the clearing, desperately seeking the source. A figure appeared in the branch of a tree. Dressed in Sound garb, a white robe, purple ropes dangling from his waist. Onyx hair, midnight blue beneath it, pale skin, and piercing eyes the color of blood, daubed with darkness. The leaves surrounding him shuddered in the chill wind.

"Sasuke…"

* * *

A/N: Reviews are appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

"Sasuke…" Just a breath. Had he noticed her yet?

In the forest clearing, Naruto straightened, his fangs bared and lips quivering. "What're you doing here? Aren't you busy being Orochimaru's lapdog?"

Sasuke scowled. "You're in my way. This has nothing to do with you."

"What the hell are you talking about!? You bet your ass this has to do with me; I protect my teammates, not throw them away like _some_ people! What were you planning to do to Sakura?" Naruto accused.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. Perhaps that was because he hadn't noticed her; his concentration was elsewhere. He seemed to fight his thoughts briefly, torn on his next move. In the end, though, his priorities were unchanging. He decided to pretend this wasn't happening. "I don't care what you do with her." The tomoe of the sharingan began to spin slowly. "I'll say it again. You're in my way."

Sakura sat paralyzed. This was happening too fast… she hadn't been prepared to see him already. The mere sight of him after three long years… her heart was pounding erratically, and Naruto was picking a fight. _He's become bitter. Whose side is Naruto on anyway? I knew I couldn't trust him to bring him back, he failed once, why should I have expected anything different? _For a moment Sakura felt a_wrongness_ in her thoughts… but things were moving too fast and her emotions and _need_ for Sasuke were too powerful.

Naruto huffed indignantly. "In the way of _what_? What are you doing here if you're not after Sakura?"

"It's not your concern. If you don't leave now, I'll go _through_ you, Naruto." His smooth, deep voice began to take on an edge of urgency.

"Hah! Fine. Let's see you try, Sasuke!" Naruto's head flicked back, mouth tasting the air. His body began to radiate crimson chakra, a dangerous feral intensity pouring from him. He leapt.

* * *

From that moment, Sakura felt as if she'd seen this before. Again, that strange sense of _wrongness_ crept through her, slithering through her consciousness like a snake, and just as swift. But there was simply no time to contemplate it. She had to stop this. Getting between them could be deadly.

Naruto rushed Sasuke on his perch in the branches, claws razing the limb on which he alighted and shattering the wood. Naruto flipped and landed on the ground in a flurry of splinters, crouched on all fours. Sasuke had vanished from the spot. Already sniffing, Naruto found him again quickly and attempted to bottle him up between himself and a tall rock outcropping. With every moment Sasuke evaded him, Naruto grew more and more vocal, growling and hissing; a breath of wind and Sasuke was behind him, the metallic ring of steel escaping sheath assaulting Naruto's sensitive ears. He swiveled and leapt, high again into the air to avoid the deadly swipe of Sasuke's katana. But Sasuke had seen it coming and pivoted his shoulders to position his blade sharp side up, launching gracefully into the air with a sweep of his arms, his body flipping after the slice, legs pumping him around to land again.

He had struck his mark. Naruto thudded to the ground, a six-inch gash open on his thigh. But now, Naruto was utterly incensed. It didn't seem possible that he could open those floodgates any further, but he did.

"SASUKE! Why are you doing this? WHY?!"

"I will not allow you to interfere. Just stay out of it, Naruto!"

"NO!" Naruto's body was a blur, barreling so quickly and moving so unpredictably at Sasuke that his sharingan could barely register it. A rapid evasion and counter-strike to Naruto's exposed back was the plan, but all he managed was to get out of the way of a claw-fisted bear hug, receiving four long gashes across his bicep. Naruto wasted no time and stepped in front of Sasuke's escape route, delivering a massive uppercut, sending Sasuke reeling, splayed on the forest floor gagging and spitting blood.

Naruto shambled slowly over to Sasuke on all fours, hair bristling and barely resembling the young man Sakura knew. The red aura of demon chakra seemed to be growing larger and larger. Sakura had registered that from the moment the fight began, Naruto was becoming increasingly wild and unaware of himself. He was already losing the battle for his identity; Kyuubi was itching to emerge.

Sasuke rolled to his knees and turned his head toward his opponent. He smirked briefly and wiped the blood with a sleeve, and not a moment later, his other arm shot out toward Naruto, serpents emerging from his sleeves, twining and hissing. They latched on to Naruto's neck and he emitted a rasping howl, ripping the creatures off of him as they pulled chunks of flesh from their victim.

It was too much… Sakura vibrated with fear and adrenaline, screaming soundlessly, tears pouring from her eyes. _I can't move. I can't move. I can't… why can't I move…_

Naruto rose to his feet, hunched over and eerily silent. Something inside of him snapped. Sakura finally saw clearly the tails of the chakra cloak… one, two, three… and now the fourth. She watched Sasuke's eyes widen as he took note of the same thing, and clutching his shoulder, he mirrored his opponent's actions. Flaming marks spread angrily across his body, and his eyes had become entirely black, with amber pupils, like a bird of prey. From his back, huge clawed wings emerged slowly, ripping at the sinew of his human flesh.

It was too late now. _She _was too late. There was absolutely nothing she could do to get between them now. Not for the first time, the bitter taste of helplessness engulfed her.

Sasuke's entire body began to crackle with electricity, his hair standing on end and a twisted grin on his face. He was just as possessed as Naruto, just as fierce.

They rushed each other.

Her eyes involuntarily closed, for just a brief moment… by the time she opened them, her feet were finally moving, her mind grasping briefly at the notion of _inevitability_, and as Sasuke and Naruto reached for each other, she thought she saw a momentary flicker of _doubt_ cloud Sasuke's eyes.

The same could not be said for Naruto. Pure, animalistic frenzy was all she saw… and she reacted.

"NARUTO!" she shrieked into the ebbing sound of electricity. Like a dream, she felt the kunai between her fingers, her thumb hooked in the loop, swinging it around and forward. It released and flew to its target, who stepped back from his opponent and visibly deflated, stunned, as the image of the blade was outshone by the sight of Sakura's shocked face.

The blade sunk with a_thump_ into Naruto's neck, but his expression never changed. It was utter, complete bewilderment, as he fell to his knees and kept his eyes locked to hers. His words came out with a bloody gurgle, barely audible. "Sak-u-ra…. chan….?"

There is a strange quiet in the aftermath of violence.

Sakura had made her dreams come true.

And after that, blackness.

* * *

The curse seal receded rapidly as he watched Sakura collapse. He was at an absolute loss for coherent thought. _I never thought it would come to this…_

He was bleeding, burned from the touch of the demonic chakra, and somewhat depleted from their fight; he'd be fighting a concussion as well. No good. Itachi, with Kisame in tow no doubt, was in the area. He realized now that things may have turned out differently if Naruto had been made aware of that fact, but he had wanted no intrusions. At first he sensed only Sakura, and sought to warn her away, but then there it was, that massive chakra signature that belonged only to one man. He gritted his teeth, hard.

_Goddammit, Naruto! You complete idiot! You're down now, and Akatsuki will have their little prize, and I… _

He had no time to truly absorb what had happened – he had to think fast. As much as he wanted to leave the little fool to the buzzards, he couldn't. _Akatsuki would have completed their goal, _he reasoned. _I can't allow that to happen_. Naruto was critically injured; although he knew he healed fast, it wouldn't be fast enough to staunch the extremely rapid blood loss. Hopefully the hit to the artery was just a nick, and a quick wrap of bandages would do the trick to slow it.

As he quickly wrapped bandages around Naruto's neck, he glanced at Sakura. She didn't appear to be injured. The only thing he could fathom was psychological trauma… what on earth had possessed her? Even if she thought he was in imminent danger, she had taken drastic measures. Naruto may well die, even knowing he was a tenacious bastard.

_Idiot's ruined everything. And Sakura… may have just killed him… to save me._

He couldn't sense the distinctive chakra signatures anymore, which was a bad sign. It meant they were purposefully shielding themselves now, which meant they were closer. He couldn't take both Naruto and Sakura back. He had no choice but to pick one; and since Naruto simply could not fall into Akatsuki's hands, and needed immediate medical treatment, it had to be him. It was highly unlikely that Akatsuki would give a damn about a passed out kunoichi in either case.

Taking one last look at Sakura, he hunched Naruto over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and with a burst of chakra to his feet, took off running in the direction of Konoha.

* * *

Two Akatsuki came alight in the clearing with the faint tinkling of bells.

"Itachi… just where is our little fox?" Kisame eyeballed the clearing. "And where the hell is Sasuke? What the fuck happened to your plan, eh?"

Itachi observed the scene. Sakura remained sprawled on the forest floor, appearing to be uninjured physically. There were remnants of a fight… more accurately, a brawl. Scattered blood dotted the leaves, and a short piece of bloodied bandage sat amongst it.

"It appears my brother's loyalties were not entirely severed."

"Eh?"

"I believe he has taken our jinchuuriki somewhere for medical treatment."

"Ah, what a pain in the ass. You know, we could've just lured them out here and beat the shit out of him."

"From the looks of things, the only reason he was hit or injured was because of his emotional ties to his companions. Otherwise…" he gestured meaningfully to the decimated clearing, "he would have had complete license to unhinge." He paused, wiping a drop of blood from a leaf. "In any case, Kisame, I suggest you pursue. Sasuke is injured himself, there is a chance you might still get Naruto back."

"What the hell makes you think he needs to be injured for me to win, eh?" Kisame grunted. "No point arguing with _you_, I'm off." He glanced at Itachi over his shoulder. "And what about our little tart there?"

Itachi's eyes roved over Sakura. "Not yet. I have work to do."

* * *

A/N: Please do review, it makes me all giddy inside ;)


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

Sasuke was dangerously close to Konoha's perimeter defense.

While his information was certainly outdated as to the timing of ANBU rotations, he couldn't imagine it had changed so much that he wouldn't run into the usual two man squad patrolling in concentric circles ranging out from the village, in roughly one mile ranges.

He paused in a branch to look for anyone in the vicinity, any evidence that someone had recently passed through the area. Oddly, nothing. _I should be so close here…_

Well. So the new Hokage may have pulled back on their defenses. While on the surface that was foolish, it was also true that any attacks on the village would have to be planned, and most importantly _carried out_, by a large amount of S-class shinobi; nothing less would succeed.

Sasuke proceeded forward, seeking signs of recent passing. Sure enough, a small print in the dirt; the tracks indicated one person, not two. And the print was very distinct. He decided to track this one down. If the ANBU in question was solo, all the easier to drop off the unwanted burden and get back to another location to recuperate. He sought and located them, not bothering to mask his presence.

The anonymous shinobi did not turn in Sasuke's direction; he merely called out over his shoulder. "So you've brought the body? That was generous of you. Although, he has no family who would feel a need to bury him."

Sasuke's lips twitched slightly. "He's not dead. Not yet anyway."

"Close enough to it. I think you seek only to escape, Uchiha."

Who was this? "I have absolutely nothing to explain to you. Either bring him to a healer, or he will die. His pulse was weak before, it's only getting weaker with every minute you spend talking." With that, Sasuke dropped Naruto unceremoniously to the ground. His brows knit; after a brief pause, he knelt and adjusted Naruto's forehead protector, gently.

Sasuke rose. "You have no time to deal with me. Get him to the hospital. Go, _now_." He spun on his heel and left, more slowly this time; his injuries were catching up with him, his eyes pensive and tense as he retreated from what was once his home.

* * *

Tsunade stared down at her charge, tapping her foot anxiously and glancing up occasionally at the monitors, beeping and electric humming filling the silence.

When Tenzo had burst into her office with Naruto in his arms, her heart sunk and her eyes automatically sought the necklace around his neck. It was nothing but a curse. A hangman's noose.

She administered emergency care right there, staunching the blood loss as much as she could, but the reconstruction of Naruto's throat and surrounding arteries simply could not wait if he had any chance at all of surviving. It was only the Kyuubi's influence, surely, that had kept him alive this long. The initial surgery had required all their most talented medics, and a specially equipped surgery ward where strategically placed seals could prevent infection. Absolutely no slip-ups could be tolerated. In the end, she'd been able to repair much of the damage, but not all of it, and Naruto would still be unable to speak when he woke. But it appeared the danger of his demise had passed. She had sent for Shizune, Sakura, and the small crop of fairly green medic nins the moment she entered the hospital, carrying Naruto's bloodied body quickly to surgery.

Shizune had come, but Sakura had not. Sakura was on study leave, though she didn't recall having authorized her to leave the village. _Dammit. I wonder if I'd been… "relaxing" a little too much that day…_

Even in the short time Sakura had been working on medical jutsu, she'd rapidly become indispensable at the hospital, and though Tsunade knew she shouldn't ride the young woman too hard, there wasn't much choice; there just weren't that many medic nins yet. Although, due to Sakura's influence, that was changing.

A tight, pained smile etched her features. She pulled a chair beside Naruto's bed and leaned in, stroking his spiky blonde hair gently, fingers tracing the faint marks of whiskers in silent thanks for his tenant's regenerative powers, however dubious a gift it might be. For now, she would bless it, since it had kept him alive.

"What happened?" Kakashi had appeared in the hospital window, his revealed eye distraught.

She swiveled to look at him. "We have yet to determine that entirely, but… it appears he ran into Sasuke."

Kakashi's brows dipped. "Where? How long ago?"

"It's too late to pursue, Kakashi. Besides, I've already sent two ANBU squads to look for him, unfortunately I doubt they'll catch up. I think Sasuke had too much of a head start."

"I'll track him." Kakashi began the seals for kuchiyose.

"Wait. Kakashi, I don't know what to make of this yet, but Tenzo tells me that Sasuke was the one who brought Naruto here. For treatment."

The silver haired jounin stopped for a moment. His brain was in action mode, but now he had a new wrinkle to consider.

"All right. We need to back up here. First – what was Naruto doing roving Fire Country? Second – what was Sasuke doing roving Fire Country?"

"Exactly my concern. I have no idea. I can't fathom how, but maybe Naruto knew Sasuke was in the area? Unfortunately we can't really know where exactly their fight took place, how far away it was. And you know rash Naruto is."

Kakashi nodded.

"As for Sasuke…" Tsunade paused. "Why would he be roaming around? Does Orochimaru really have that long a leash?"

"No. No, that wouldn't really make any sense. Sasuke's far too valuable to him." He looked up her. "When's the last time you reviewed the intelligence reports or heard from Jiraiya?"

"I was expecting an update tomorrow morning."

Kakashi nodded. "We need to hear what's been happening in Sound. Something's up. Last we heard, after the Akatsuki attack on his main compound, Orochimaru had escaped. We don't know for sure what kind of casualties they may have had, but we also don't know who of his entourage had escaped. What if Sasuke got away then? During the attack?"

"It's not impossible. But I have to wonder whether Sasuke has control of that curse seal yet or not…" Tsunade frowned. "We'll have to hear what intelligence has to say. Now the next question – if Sasuke attacked Naruto, why would he haul him all the way back here to get him patched up?"

Kakashi glanced at Naruto's recumbent form. His brow softened briefly. "I think… I think he still remembers. Somewhere I think he still remembers."

Tsunade clenched her teeth and glared at Kakashi. "Don't give me that bullshit. Sasuke Uchiha is a criminal and a deserter. Not just of the village, but of every bond he ever built," she sneered, spitting the words. "There must be some ulterior motive here."

"And what would that be? What good would saving Naruto's life do him?" Kakashi knew. If Sasuke had taken Naruto's life, there would be power to gain. Power to put him unquestionably in Itachi's range. Over the years, he'd had time to consider Sasuke's motivations. And he'd never once stopped blaming himself for Sasuke's defection. But now, it was clear; Sasuke still held onto a small thread here. Naruto.

Tsunade stared once more at the necklace hanging from Naruto's neck. "I don't know." She sighed. "I don't know."

"How long do you think until he wakes up?" Kakashi asked.

"A day… a week… no way to know. That fox inside him might make shorter work of his recuperation than normal."

"Well, regardless of how he got away from Orochimaru, the only reason Sasuke would be out stalking the countryside is if he had a lead on Itachi. Hopefully those ANBU squads know better than to try to engage Itachi themselves, if they ran into him." He paused, looking for Tsunade's reaction. "We should reinforce the perimeter immediately. And if Sasuke can't be found, we'll have to wait. We'll need to hear it from the fox's mouth."

* * *

_It was a beautiful summer day in the village; the sun slanted gentle light through the banners adorning the marketplace in Konoha, warming the cobblestones. Sakura turned and caught sight of Naruto waving to her, his wide, bright smile radiating kindness. He had become… a true friend. A warmth in the darker days and nights. Once he had returned, they were virtually inseparable. There was nothing romantic, no, but they had become very close._

_As she watched him, the light began to dim, and the banners fell one by one forlornly to the streets, the shoppers fading… Naruto kept smiling. The sun was gone, slowly replaced by a threatening sky, a cold wind now keening and whistling through the thoroughfare._

_No… Naruto… run, get away!_

_He opened his eyes, his warm, wide smile replaced now by a knowing and heartbreaking one. He watched Sakura as his body began to fade, and a trickle of blood began to seep from his neck, growing rapidly to a torrent of red ichor, soaking his jacket. _

_NO!_

"_Goodbye, Sakura…" he said, as his eyes rolled back in his head and he vanished._

"_Murderer…"_

"_Murderer..."_

"_Murderer!"_

"_NO!!"_

_Sakura covered her ears and shook her head violently, hot tears streaming from her face._

_She felt herself falling suddenly, no ground beneath her. She flailed uselessly for what seemed hours, before finally cracking to the ground. _

_Every bone in her body was surely broken, she couldn't move her limbs._

_The pain was justified. She was entirely alone, and it was the best possible place for her._

_Her face was a mask of shock, her eyes frozen open as silent tears slid into her hair._

"_Sakura…" a deep, rich voice spoke to her. In the darkness, a hand reached for her. The owner of the voice came into focus, and the hand became a fist, as Sasuke winced, reaching for his shoulder, the hideous transformation nigh. "Sakura, please…"_

* * *

Sakura's eyes opened slowly. She did not want to rise. She did not want to wake. Her face was an emotionless mask.

She registered slowly that she was lying on the forest floor, and it was absurdly sunny. Her fingers twitched experimentally.

_Not broken. Not my bones._

She did not want to see this. Not yet. But she had to.

Her head turned slowly to the scene of Naruto and Sasuke's fight. There was a great deal of blood… but no bodies.

"I… I don't understand…" She rose finally to fully survey her surroundings sluggishly. Her head was pounding.

She moved toward the spot where Sasuke and Naruto had clashed for the final time. The leaves, debris and dirt all pointed clearly to someone having been dragged through it. This went on for about ten feet before terminating abruptly. It could be assumed that Naruto's body had been taken.

Sakura rose from her examination of the ground and looked directly into the sun, for a long time. She didn't know who would drag Naruto off, or why, but it didn't matter. She could never go back now. Ever. While she knew she took a risk in pursuing Sasuke at all, now Konoha was forever and utterly sealed. And her best friend gone forever.

As her mind went blank, her body simply began moving. A walk at first, gradually speeding to a run, bursts of chakra rushing to her heels. She had no idea what direction she was moving in, and no particular destination. She just knew she wanted to get there, and fast.

* * *

Tsunade paced furiously beside Naruto's bed, glancing angrily at Kakashi every few moments.

"Lady Tsunade, please, stop pacing. You're distracting me."

"Oh, shut up, Kakashi. It's not as if you haven't read that smut six times already."

"It's been four days. Doesn't seem like his condition is changing at the moment. I think we just need to be patie…"

"SHUT UP."

He coughed. "Yes. Right." He jumped down from his perch on the windowsill. "I think I'll go get myself some…"

"Ssss…sssaa…sssaaak…"

"NARUTO!" Tsunade rushed to Naruto's side, checking his pulse and pupils. His voice was nothing but a strangled gurgle and completely impossible to understand.

Kakashi was there in a moment. "Naruto… Naruto, can you repeat that? Go slowly."

"He can't speak yet, Kakashi. The vocal chords are delicate, that's one thing I couldn't fully heal." She looked back to Naruto, her voice that of a pleading mother. "Naruto, please, don't try to speak just yet. Can you move your fingers?"

Naruto's index finger shifted slightly, followed by the middle, and the pinky. His wrist moved upwards, until finally he started to point.

Kakashi followed his direction. He was pointing at the desk across the room.

"What Naruto? What do you need here?" The jounin began pushing aside the books and magazines, until he noticed a pen. "Ah, you want to write it! Here Naruto – Tsunade, can he write?"

"I don't see why not. Just don't push yourself if it doesn't feel right, Naruto."

Naruto nodded almost imperceptibly, and accepted the pen and paper from Kakashi. Without moving enough to actually see the paper on which he scrawled, he penned a short but meaningful message:

"_S A K U R A"_

* * *

A/N: Transitional chapter I know; next one might be somewhat as well I'm afraid, but after that, things should pick up quite a lot.

Thanks for those who have reviewed (my two friends :) and faved (my other two friends). Seriously, you guys are why I'm updating every day so far, LOL (don't get too used to it though, hehe)

Please do review; I seem to be getting a good number of hits but I have no idea if my labor is really getting out there… or being enjoyed at all…


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Amaya means "night rain".

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

The steady rain had slowed to a cold drizzle, leaving tiny beads of moisture stuck to Sakura's skin. She finished bundling up her satchel under the awning of the inn, shoving the pouches of herbs under the flap and tightening. Her last patient would do well now, and she looked forward to a hot meal.

"Amaya-san! Amaya-san! Look, look! Look what I found!" Sakura turned to the little girl who scampered up to her, who was soaked to the bone but didn't seem to notice. After nearly a year away, months of that here in Rain Country, Sakura had finally gotten used to responding to the new moniker. Her hair and eyes were disguised as well, both a pale brown from an unobtrusive henge.

"Hiromi-chan! Where is your rain jacket? You'll catch cold!"

The little girl scoffed, screwing her face up dejectedly. "I'm fine! Aren't you used to the rain yet? Sheesh!" She raised her cupped hands up, eagerly peering into them. "Look, see! It's a dragonfly! I'm going to be a ninja, and this dragonfly will bring me luck in battle!"

Sakura frowned and ruffled Hiromi's hair gently. "Hiromi, the life of a kunoichi is difficult and painful. I would sooner you thought that dragonfly might bring a good harvest of rice. The last thing I need to do is spend all my time healing your injuries from playing ninja!" She smiled.

"HAH! Too late, I already play ninja, and I win, too! And soon I'm going to go to academy!" The girl bounced twice and fell into a slightly stumbling stance, very serious indeed about sending her imaginary shuriken flying.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "But Hiromi, why do you want to be a ninja?"

The girl pondered gravely. "Because I want to go the Hidden Village of Rain, and meet all the people I hear about… they sound so amazing!" Her eyes shone with curiosity and adulation.

Sakura had heard the stories too. Before she had come here, as she wandered Grass, she had heard the rumors. No one had ever seen the leaders of Hidden Rain, it was said. At least not recently. But they were powerful, and greatly admired. Their followers loyal to a fault.

In the end, though, Sakura could not entirely say what had attracted her to Rain Country. But she was drawn here. Certainly not rumors of powerful shinobi; she'd known what that was and what it meant. And she wanted nothing to do with it.

All she sought was a place where healing was needed. Where she could live simply and mend their hurts. It was important to make people whole.

Perhaps it was the rain that brought her here; it was soothing and quiet. And it usually fit her mood. She had come upon this tiny village and rooted herself here, and after healing the innkeeper's wife, she had been begged to stay. So it was right. It was far enough away from everything, and she knew Konoha had no formal ties with Rain, and so no messengers or interlopers.

When she could, she still trained, stealing out to the forest at night. There were other benefits to this forest too; rare herbs seemed to take root everywhere here, both for healing and for poisons. One could never be too prepared.

She did her best not to think about home. To think about the hole she'd created there.

Sakura looked up to the sky as the drizzle turned back to rain.

"Go home, Hiromi-chan. Now you really _will_ catch cold, and I won't have your mother blaming me for it."

"Oh, all right. But I'm keeping this dragonfly, Amaya-san! Just you wait and see!" Hiromi grinned widely and ran off toward home.

Sakura watched her with a smile until she was sure she was running in the right direction, and turned in to her new home.

The blast of warmth from the common room was welcome, but all she wanted was food and a quiet night of study. Although in truth, there was little enough to study; she had gathered what she could over the months, but nothing at all like Tsunade's library. Sakura grabbed a hot bowl of ramen from the innkeeper, who grinned and dropped an extra bundle of noodles in for the shivering girl. She looked down sadly at the bowl. _Why couldn't they just serve soup…_

The innkeeper caught her expression and brightened ten watts. "We can't have _you_ getting sick, now! Eat up."

She smiled weakly. "Thank you, Tsutomu-san. I'm sure this will warm me right up."

With that, Sakura went to her room, ate and showered, releasing the henge as she wiped the warm mist from the mirror. She preferred her disguise to the reality now; it was too bright… it was all she could do not to shatter her reflection. She lowered her head, flicked off the lamp of the nightstand, and laid down in bed, burrowing snugly under the covers.

It was good to make people whole.

* * *

_Ino stood in the field, carefully selecting the appropriate flowers for her arrangement. She'd always been better at flower arranging. But Sakura never understood exactly _why_ it was that kunoichi were supposed to know how to do these things._

"_Ino, what's this got to do with fighting, anyway? I mean, all these flowers are real pretty, but I can't throw them at anybody…"_

"_Sakura-chan, you idiot! It's not all about fighting, you know. Sometimes you have to be _persuasive_," Ino said with a sly smile and a wink. Sakura turned three shades redder._

"_Ino!"_

"_Just shut up and help me pick these."_

_It was warm, and soft, and beautiful. Even if the flowers didn't make good shuriken…_

_Something was brushing her cheek. She tried to flick it away, but it didn't seem to be going anywhere…_

Sakura's eyes shot open.

She wasn't alone.

She didn't move, but she was sure her heart was pounding loudly enough to be heard across the room, which was exactly where the invader was standing. She knew any fast movements would alert them immediately, so she stayed utterly still. It was clear that whoever it was was masking their chakra. So close, she could sense that it was powerful, even under restraint.

"What do you want?" She breathed.

"Sakura Haruno." A deep, smooth voice intoned.

Her stomach twisted into a stone. They knew who she was… and the voice was so familiar… she sat up, very, very slowly. Her hand had already been beneath her pillow, where a nest of deadly senbon lay. She leaned back on her palms and squinted, every muscle in her body tensed and ready. All she saw was a cloaked shadow.

"And you are?" She quivered. She almost didn't want to know the answer.

"A messenger, in this case. For an interested party."

"I'll ask again. Who are you?"

A pause. Her fingers grabbed purchase on the senbon as the figure stepped forward, out of the slanting shadows and into the moonlight.

His red eyes locked to hers.

She gasped. "Itachi… Uchiha…"

An almost imperceptible smirk tugged at his mouth. _Ah, kami, so like his brother…_

"Yes, kunoichi. I come with a request. And an offer."

It was like a floodgate – the anger and tension burst from her like a tsunami, her chakra flaring and flowing like lava. She directed it expertly, her hands pivoting beneath the pillow before he could blink.

The senbon bristled between each of her delicate fingers, poised to fly – she had already swiveled onto her knees and in one smooth motion, released them one after the other, eight of them aimed at major tenketsu and filled with deadly poison, whistling through the air.

Watching him dodge them was breathtaking and horrible. It was effortless and fluid, no wasted movement of any kind. And before she could see the last one tear a small rip in the fabric of his cloak, he was on her, pinning her arms on either side of her head with an iron grip, his knees weighting down her legs.

"I did not come here to fight you." His face was so close. His breath tickled her cheek as she stared at the sensual curve of his lips. The eyes were wholly forbidden. Her terror now was absolute, and she cursed her trembling body. "As I said, I come with an offer." He leaned in closer, the warmth of his breath making her shiver. "Tell me, kunoichi, what is it you desire most?"

Her anger returned; this did nothing to ease the cold sting rushing up her spine. "Don't play games with me. I'm not interested in anything _you_ have to offer."

"You would do well to consider it. Answer my question."

She shook her head. She _would not_ cry. _Not_ in front of this man. But it only took the thought of him…

"The one thing I want in this world… the one thing left to me… is the one thing you seek only to destroy. What can you possibly offer me that you aren't already trying to take away, you bastard!"

He leaned back slightly. His jaw clenched momentarily and relaxed. "I can offer you the release of his curse seal. That is, if you want it."

Sakura's breath involuntarily drew in sharply. "You… how could you offer that? That was Orochimaru's doing, and he's dead." She had finally heard what it seemed everyone else knew months ago – the snake sannin was dead. And it was Sasuke who had killed him.

"Did you know that Orochimaru was once part of Akatsuki?" Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. A bead of sweat rolled over her hot skin as she watched his lips form the words, his delicate necklace swinging gently beneath her chin. "Where do you suppose he learned the technique, _Amaya-san_?"

_Oh, kami… is it possible? Sasuke-kun, maybe I can still save you…_

She looked into his eyes. She knew it was folly, but she couldn't stop herself any longer. They were so beautiful, thick, silken lashes framing them; and so like Sasuke's. She wanted a reminder of him now. How ironic that it came from his greatest enemy.

"What do _you_ get from this? What do you want me to do?"

His eyes latched onto hers like a predator. Perhaps it was habit; most were not foolish enough to look into them directly as she had.

"_I_ do not gain anything. Akatsuki gains a medic-nin. There is no need for anyone to know you are with us; you would be nothing but dead weight on missions. Consider yourself on retainer."

She thought for a moment. There was a flaw. "And when I have the technique. What then?"

This time the smirk was clear. "We will decide that when we come to it. I think you'll find that our goals, and Sasuke's, are not entirely at odds."

"I find that difficult to believe. You are, all of you, criminals! How could you possibly have anything in common with Sasuke?" She spat the words, hoping to sting.

His face was utterly unreadable. "Do you suffer from the delusion that you and Sasuke are _not_ criminals?" His breath tickled her ear as he whispered, "Sakura… _you are_."

She hardened, then. She remembered, all her months of desperate _forgetting_ washed away with one callous sentence from this man. Naruto's face swam in her memories, and she'd torn that brightness from this world. It was _she_ that had done it. Yes. _All I wanted to do was forget…_ her tears came now, unbidden and streaming.

"And why should I trust you?"

He released her hands, his fingers gently uncurling from her wrists. His body rose from the bed, looking down at her. His eyes never once left hers.

"You don't." He stated flatly, no hint of expression on his face. He turned his back now and spoke over his shoulder. "That is the offer. You have the night to decide. We will return tomorrow for your answer."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

A/N: Well, it was subtle, did you catch it? Our first "contact"…

In truth, I'm not sure how much which of each of the pairings will develop more. I will have to see what comes naturally; I know where the plot will go, but not necessarily Sakura's heart, now that she is so changed…

Please review :)


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

Sakura hadn't moved a muscle for hours. Her mind was racing; she couldn't seem to grasp a coherent thought for long enough to make a decision.

She closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. This was, after all, what her meditation exercises were for. This skill was rusty though; too much deep thought brought her to dark places of late.

Unbidden, the first image to whirl into her mind's eye was Itachi, his charcoal hair hanging softly around his jaw, his warm breath and the slightly sweet scent of earth and rain as he whispered to her…

"_Sakura… you are."_

_Sasuke is the only thread left to me; I've ruined everything else. How can I not grasp this chance with both hands? What have I got to lose?_

Itachi seemed to have anticipated one of her possible responses by stating that no one needed to know she was with them – what would Sasuke think if he thought she was in their ranks? And surely Itachi had known that she was at the bottom of the barrel.

_I wonder how many of them fell into it like this._

Still, when she'd caught her breath from the image, there had to be more to it. What benefit to them when she'd gained the technique to release the seal, and she left to be with Sasuke? How long until they handed over the secret? It was likely she'd be in purgatory for quite some time; it was the one and only thing they'd offered her.

_What I don't know is how long Sasuke has, before he cracks from that seal, that_possession

What did Itachi mean by Akatsuki's goals and Sasuke's being similar? Their previous goal of gathering all the jinchuuriki… she had stepped into that. Were they angry at her for it? What were they really after now?

Her jaw clenched as she thought of Naruto. This time, she allowed these thoughts, after all these months. What would he think? What would he do?

_I hope that you have forgiven me… please, forgive me… _

Her reverie was shaken as she felt a blood-curdling _presence_ nearing the inn. The chakra was enormous and unyielding, and felt _very_ pissed off. It was unfamiliar. Pivoting on the bed, she switched off the light on the nightstand and crouched below the window, peering out.

A black cloak, adorned with red clouds. And a wicked looking sword.

"Shit!" Sakura jumped from her spot, arming herself with her sai; she would certainly need them, her fists wouldn't even come close to this one with that sword.

She heard a booming voice as the huge man asked for her room number. _If he hurts Tsutomu-san there will be hell to pay..._

The loud stomping up the stairs ended abruptly as her door swung open wildly, crashing into the wall with a bang and splitting the door jamb.

He had to be seven feet tall. He was enormous… and _blue_, rows of teeth lined up sharp and even, and he had… _gills?!_

Her eyes had to be the size of dinner plates.

"All right, so what's it gonna be?" He rasped. He looked very, very angry.

She was still in shock. Her mind simply couldn't help but consider the biological implications of his appearance…

"Listen honey, we don't have time for you to drink me in," he said, cracking the most repulsive grin Sakura could ever remember seeing. "Are you coming with us, or aren't you? 'Cause we've already got work for you to do."

Stupidly, Sakura just nodded and picked up her bag, shoving items quickly into it. She didn't have much. Probably the most valuable things she had now were her herbs. Once she heard she had "work to do", oddly, it didn't matter who it was coming from. There was no _option_, she just did her job.

She rose, her bag on her back, and nodded.

* * *

The trip was rather shorter than she imagined. _All this time, their base has been here in Rain Country… or, one of them anyway._

It was pouring. Her rain jacket had ceased to prevent the water from seeping through a couple hours ago, and her lips were blue from the chill. _Ah, me and the shark man, a matched set! I'm getting delirious…_

She shook her head vigorously and watched his back, and a stout, stone complex started coming into view over the verge of a hill. It looked to be an old fortress or armory, two floors high in the center, with walls surrounding it. It wasn't hidden at all; it sat nestled against low, forested foothills, and before it a wide swath of grassy plain. She wondered how far they were from villages and cities, or the Hidden Village of Rain.

"Home sweet home!" The shark man called. She realized dimly that she hadn't been told his name.

They slowed in front of the iron gates. He approached them and started a complex series of hand signals; unfortunately Sakura had missed many of them, and he was moving fast. The gate groaned open, and she swallowed, trembling slightly.

_So it begins._

They entered one of the larger buildings, and he led the way quickly through dark, narrow passageways, their boots leaving wet puddles.

"Come on, in here," he beckoned her to a wooden door and opened it.

There was an orange glow emanating from a small wood stove directly opposite the door, and she sighed slightly with the welcome warmth. Two large windows looked out over the open plains behind it, and bookshelves and a desk lined the wall to the right. To the right of the door, a bed. And her patient.

Itachi.

She clenched her teeth, reciting a mantra to calm herself. _This is my job now. I am a medic-nin with nothing to lose._

Her face went blank, utterly professional. The shark man closed the door and leaned back against it, his head cocked to the side as if to let her know he was watching.

She smelled it first; bitterness. _My poison! I couldn't have actually hit him last night, could I?_

"That's some nasty stuff you're packin' there. He's been a mess, and it looked like it was only a little scratch! Sasori's gonna want to get your recipe," the shark man chuckled.

It occurred to her now, too late, that she could have simply let him die. Then it would be over, and Sasuke would have no choice but to let it go. _But he wouldn't. It would be my fault that he couldn't exact his revenge. And he'd still have the curse seal._

She sighed and approached the bed, dragging a chair beside it and taking a seat. He was clearly feverish, and it was likely the paralysis had at least taken over his extremities.

_This is my job now. Medic-nin. That is my job._

She unpacked her bag and pulled out two pouches of herbs and a mortar and pestle.

"I'm going to need a couple glasses of water and some towels. And bring me some bandages."

The shark man stared at her.

Was he expecting her to beg? _Not going to happen._

She stopped grinding the herbs and simply sat back in the chair, crossing her legs casually. She stared back, saying nothing.

He glared and his brows furrowed. "You'd better watch yourself here." And with that, he sauntered off. "Bold little bitch," he muttered under his breath, grinning.

She returned to her work; having finished the herb preparation, she turned to lean over Itachi's body. His eyes were closed, his black hair sticking to his face, and his lips occasionally worked soundlessly.

She had to pull the covers down to get a look at the wound. Her jaw clenched and she looked up at the ceiling, releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd held.

_This is my job… thank kami his eyes are closed._

Slowly she drew the soft comforter back, revealing his well-toned shoulders, slick with moisture, his chest rising and falling with his breath. Her eyes fell to his left shoulder, the delicate black ANBU tattoo rippling as his muscles involuntarily fought the poison's paralyzing effects.

Unfortunately, the wound was on the other side. Cursing softly, she rose from her seat and approached the other side of the bed, carefully sliding onto the covers and closing in on his body, her knees bent as she leaned over it; it _was_ just a scratch. A slight smirk etched her lips; it was powerful indeed. And the tiny release mechanism in her special senbon let her keep them fueled up anytime, anywhere; only when they hit their mark did the poison bead and flare out from its target.

She positioned herself leaning over him; she simply couldn't bring herself to get closer, though it would have been more comfortable. Her warm fingers slowly brushed his arm around the wound, checking for the heat of infection._…Soft…_

She shook her head; there was no infection. She would only need to deal with the poison.

Her thumb and forefinger reached gingerly for his neck, checking his pulse. She closed her eyes to count with the beats. At first, steady enough; but she quickly noted they were accelerating slightly. She opened her eyes.

He was looking at her.

Her pink brows twitched, and her mouth opened once but closed again rapidly. _This is foolish. I'm trying to heal him._

"Stay still. I have to extract the poison. You'll feel some pressure in your chest as I draw it out."

His eyes never left hers, his face blank. She ripped her view back down to his chest and placed her hands on it, noting his breathing and pulse were still slightly accelerated. _I'll need to get this moving; every moment the poison is clearly speeding further through his cardiovascular system._

Closing her eyes, she gently pressed her chakra into his body; she visualized the flow of it though the delicate channels and tenketsu, detecting concentrations of the poison in his liver and bone marrow. He began to twitch slightly as the pull of her chakra tugged at him; she eased a soothing course into him now, targeting nerve endings throughout his body, and stimulating endorphins.

She had used perhaps more of it than normal, but she wanted to ease his pulse. The chakra spread throughout his body from his chest and fanned softly outward all the way to his feet. The twitching stopped, but his pulse sped even faster.

She looked up at his face to see if there was any indication of disquiet – nothing. His face was a mask. But then, he'd had plenty of practice with _that._

_Damn, what's going on? That should calm him down…_

"I'm going to have to make this quick; I'm not sure if the poison has hit your heart muscles too hard."

Extracting poison felt much like being a puppeteer; each chakra strand encapsulated and tugged at the pockets of liquid, distinguishing the poisonous chemical compounds from the healthy ones. The result was a tugging sensation, as she had herself experienced while testing tiny doses of her poisons and antidotes. She'd ensured though that there should be no pain; just tugging. The calming chakra she'd infused should last a while.

She had nearly isolated all of the poison now and had gathered it to his diaphragm, where it balled harmlessly. Her hands gently alighted on his stomach.

"Stop." His voice rasped slightly. She looked at his hand; he had been trying to reach for her and failed.

"I'm almost finished. It will be over in a moment. We have to get this done to take the pressure off your heart."

He looked up at the ceiling.

Sakura finally completed the gathering of the poison and slowly circled her fingers on the skin of his abdomen, gathering her chakra and drawing it out of his body, the liquid now hovering in a mass in the air above him. He clenched his teeth slightly, and it was done.

_Where the hell is that ugly blue guy with my supplies?_

Lacking the towels she'd requested, she let the poison fall to the comforter. She'd have to dispose of it; in any case, Itachi's fever would not pass immediately. He'd only need one blanket. The remnants of the poisons' symptoms would remain for at least another day or two.

Finally, the shark man reappeared.

Itachi spoke. "Kisame, show Sakura to her room."

She looked down at Itachi, narrowing her jade eyes. "You're welcome," she huffed, turning to Kisame. "So that's your name. Here, hand me that water."

She hopped off the bed and back over to the nightstand, taking half the herbs from mortar and mixing them into the water.

"You'll need to drink this one now, and another in the morning. You should be able to move then, but for the moment you'll need some help."

Itachi glared at her briefly. It was… _weird_ to see an actual expression from him other than a smirk.

"OK then – Kisame, you get to do the honors."

Kisame's laughter boomed, echoing off the walls. "Hell no. That's where I draw the line." He finished guffawing, and wiped his eyes. "That's all you, pinkie. I'm outta here." And with that he was out the door.

Now it was Sakura's turn to glare. She turned to Itachi. "All right, let's just do this." She sat gently beside him and, after giving him a look of warning, snaked her hand under his neck and through his hair, amazed once again… was everything about him _soft?_

_No. No, not everything._

She leaned into him gently, bringing his body up enough to tip the water glass to his mouth with her other hand. He refused to look at her now, and simply drained the glass to dregs quickly. She placed him back down to the pillow.

"Good. Here's the other one for tomorrow on the nightstand. Drink it when you wake."

And finally the fatigue took her, her professional demeanor wavering. Her knees shook. The realization, long ignored, hit her powerfully between the eyes.

_I just brought Itachi Uchiha back to life._

She glanced at him once more; his eyes were closed. Tears welled quietly in her green eyes. Picking up her bag, she left the room and closed the door, seeking out Kisame to settle in to her life with Akatsuki.

* * *

A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed :) That was fun to write. Gotta love shark boy for a little comic relief ;)

Please do review, I'm getting a little lonely here.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

Sakura's eyes peeled open slowly, her lashes softly shadowing her cheekbones in the morning light. Shifting slightly, she peered out the window. Grey.

She rolled onto her left side, blinking and running her fingers through her roseate hair, ruffling it slightly as she yawned.

Her room was reasonably sized and well furnished, on the second floor of the complex. There was a single, large window facing the forest with a small balcony, a bookshelf, a table and a comfortable leather chair next to the window. Her bed was small but very soft, covered in a down comforter, all in a dark blue. And along the wall opposite the window was a cheerful fireplace, still crackling and sending out a gentle heat, though she hadn't stoked it before sleeping.

It seemed strange. She had imagined it would be more… rough. For some reason she thought the bed should be uncomfortable, but it wasn't. _So they _are_ human after all._

She rose, shivering for just a moment. She'd only worn her under things to bed last night, as she usually did; thus far she had no reason to believe anyone would intrude upon her. As far as she knew, only Itachi and Kisame were present at the complex. And she hardly lacked the capacity to recognize their presence when they neared her.

Sakura dressed in her black, fitted pants and slipped into her boots, securing the buckles and leg guards carefully. A long-sleeved half-mesh shirt went over her torso, again fitted but thick enough for warmth in the chill. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders.

She glared down at the contents of the leather chair.

Kisame had left her with it last night.

"_You'll have to wear that around here. Keeps the riff-raff from thinking you're not welcome. Besides, you looked like shit when we got here; these cloaks are insulated and totally weatherproof. It's not just for looks, you know."_

It was true; her rain gear was woefully inadequate. And since it seemed that she would not be going on missions with them, no one would see her in it other than them.

So be it. She would cross that final line and accept what she had become. There was no one to blame but herself. And there was still one thing, one person she could redeem, one tiny shred of hope… it was worth it.

She slipped the cloak on. It flowed over her body sinuously, the fabric heavy and soft. She couldn't place what it was made out of exactly, but it was wonderfully warm. Her long pink tresses pooled in the high collar, pieces escaping and framing her cheeks and forehead gently.

She hadn't worn her hitae ate for a long time now.

The outfit, and transformation, was as complete as it could ever be for Sakura Haruno.

* * *

Exiting her room, she glanced both ways down the corridor. She'd been told she had free roam of everything in the complex, including training grounds and weapons stores. She still had her own gear of course, all tucked in the requisite places beneath the cloak. Sakura couldn't imagine how they fought in these, though; but from what she'd seen or heard, they all had strong bloodline limits and had no obvious need for freedom of movement. Well, and Kisame had a sword the size of a bench.

She padded toward the kitchen. Following Kisame around last night as he grumbled out his little tour had been somewhat amusing. She suppressed a chuckle as she walked through the large dining room, and into a sizable kitchen lined with dark marble counters. She searched through the cupboards; nothing. She checked the refrigerator; sake. That was it.

"You will have to go to the village for food," Itachi said fluidly.

Her breath hitched briefly. _So much for sensing their presence,_ she thought, turning slowly to face him.

While he appeared somewhat pale, he looked otherwise to be in fine condition. _Were his limbs not as paralyzed as I thought?_ His hair was loosely tied in the back, and it shone gently in the grey light.

She steeled herself, lifting her chin. "None of you cook here? You go to the village every time you need to eat?"

"No. It just happens to be time to restock."

This time she felt it; a presence was coming toward them, the familiar barreling movement of Kisame. But this time there was another, too. Entirely unfamiliar and somewhat… subdued. She braced herself for another awkward introduction.

Kisame entered. "Well, good morning, kunoichi. Someone wanted to meet you."

A woman slipped gracefully into the room. She was beautiful; shorter than Sakura, her eyes enhanced with kohl, and a large blue paper rose adorned her tied up hair. She wore the Akatsuki cloak. Sakura couldn't place her age, but the woman had to be older than herself; she had a casual power and wore her body confidently.

The woman stepped up to Sakura, looking up at her. "Ah, Sakura-san. You are a beautiful girl," she said, her voice raspy and sensual. The woman reached out to cup Sakura's cheek.

Sakura recoiled instantly from her frigid touch.

The older woman stepped back somewhat, a smile making her face rounder. "My apologies. I simply hadn't expected someone so young, given your… _exploits,_" she purred. Sakura was growing angrier by the second. "My name is Konan. I am simply very pleased to have feminine company in our ranks. Forgive me my forwardness." She bowed imperceptibly.

Sakura returned the gesture slightly, inclining her head. She had nothing to say. Whatever the Akatsuki's goal was now, Sakura had nothing to do with it and never would. She would hold out long enough to get what she came for and that was all; she had no idea what this woman was getting out of it and she didn't want to know.

"I understand these men are in need of supplies. I tell you they do nothing for themselves," Konan said conspiratorially. Sakura wasn't buying it; there was absolutely nothing domestic about this woman. _She must've been sent to make "friends,"_ she thought bitterly. What the hell were they up to?

Konan continued, "I will escort you to the village, if you like. Then you can return there whenever you have need." She smiled. "I should warn you, though; we are on a short leash. All of us." And with that, she slipped a small ring into Sakura's hand, gently closing her fingers over it. "Wear this. That way, if you are in danger you may alert us."

Konan demonstrated three hand signs deftly, and the small silver ring on her left hand began to glow with a gentle blue light.

"There, you see? Now my partner is alerted. Likewise, he can alert me. Here is the release sign." A simple _"kai"_ and the glow faded. "Ah… But who will your partner be? I am uncertain…" she pondered briefly, her fingers grazing her chin. "Yes, Itachi-san. You will be fine for this task, I think. Not to worry, dear, it is only for purposes of alerts. I think Kisame would be cross with me if I altered the arrangements, no?"

Kisame looked supremely uncomfortable watching the almost intimate exchange. Itachi held to his impassive look, and strode forward in front of Sakura, as Konan stepped back with a cheshire grin.

Sakura did not like him this close. She suppressed the worst of the trembling by biting her lip. He looked at her eyes, almost as if he were asking permission. When she said nothing, he took her hand gently, and opened it, taking the ring between his fingertips as a glow of chakra emanated from them. He nodded and slipped past her shoulder, and out of the room.

"Well! Now that that is done, shall we go, Sakura-san?"

Sakura took a deep breath, her eyes briefly trailing Itachi's receding form.

* * *

Itachi exited the room and waited for Konan and Sakura's chakra signatures to fade from his perception. He strode to another, larger room; an audience chamber. A large, round wooden table sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by leather seats.

He sat, and closed his eyes, waiting patiently.

"So she has accepted?" A slightly muffled voice asked, modulated by static. A watercolor hologram of a male figure flickered into view, hovering over the table.

"Yes."

"And you believe the ruse is holding?"

"For now. It will strengthen, I assure you." Itachi's jaw hardened for a moment.

"Good. See that it does, Uchiha."

Itachi nodded. "Is he near?"

"Yes; I believe he has crossed the border into Rain Country within the last twenty-four hours. I will ensure he is… _shepherded_… to the village near the outpost."

Itachi nodded again mutely. There was nothing more to say. He rose, turning his back on the projection. As he heard it flicker out of existence, his face descended minutely, just for a moment.

As he left the room, his face was blank.

* * *

His keen eyes roved the wilderness through the steady rain. He sought further signs of travel; threads, prints, anything.

Though the path was steadily being erased, it had to be relatively fresh; this rain would wash away anything rather quickly. The fact that the signs remained at all was a miracle.

_This country is a good place to disappear._

He kept following it, sometimes going on instinct, sometimes finding meager clues. But if anyone could unravel them, it was Sasuke Uchiha.

After hours of steadily jumping through the trees, he came upon an open road, dirty and unkempt. The tracks led here, though, so it could be assumed that his prey had stopped at a town somewhere nearby, most likely for a night before moving on.

He slowed and walked toward the town that formed before him. His mind was racing. _Finally, a decent break!_ He had been searching fruitlessly for months, for signs of them, any clue, checking in every backwater town and every fishing village he ran across.

And sometimes, he would look for Sakura. He told himself she had brought this on herself; he didn't need her intervention, and he certainly didn't like that she'd nearly brought Naruto to Akatsuki on a silver platter. _No,_he corrected himself. _Not Naruto; Kyuubi._ He sighed. He just couldn't see her surviving on her own like this; he kept expecting to cross paths with Naruto again, and this time he wasn't so sure that Naruto would hesitate. Whether Sakura had seen it or not, Naruto _had_ hesitated during their battle. And the next time they met, the blonde boy's anger would surely get the best of him. He would claim it was Sasuke's fault for turning Sakura, for making her do what she'd done. If it had not been for Sasuke and following his own stubborn path, she would never have had to make that choice.

His brow darkened with a scowl. Yes. _Naruto_ would blame him. He would not blame himself.

Shaking off his thoughts, he activated the Sharingan and looked to the sky and the plains, eyes scanning the clouds.

A slight glint shown in the mists; he narrowed his eyes and spied something. A form, perhaps of a bird, white pinions blending almost entirely with the fog, and with his heightened senses, he heard the far away ghostly tinkle of a tiny bell… and there was just enough movement to give it away completely.

He sprinted as quickly as his chakra could force him, the first stage of the curse mark racing across his skin. He would catch him. This time, he would catch him and make him talk.

* * *

Sakura had returned to the complex laden with supplies; Konan had not deigned to assist or remain with her.

_Why did she even bother coming?_ Sakura thought with a sigh.

She rumbled into the kitchen, dropping the bags on the counters, mumbling under her breath.

Not a moment later, she heard a slam and yelling from the front of the complex. Forgetting her task, she ran to the sounds, finding the foyer in decent time, and a wounded, long haired blonde man limping toward the stairs. His face was twisted with pain. He clutched at his side, his fingers stickied with blood. Itachi entered the room from a hall opposite her, walking swiftly to the man's side.

The blonde man spoke, blood trickling from his lips. He wiped at it in aggravation. "The little shit caught up with me! Fuck, Itachi, what's up with the cat and mouse, yeah?"

"Quiet, Deidara. We have the medic now." Itachi looked up at Sakura, waiting for her.

The blonde man turned his head, and catching sight of her, openly stared. "Oh. Well, help me out, yeah. Kinda fucked up here."

* * *

A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed. Reviews are love. :)


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

Sakura woke slowly. She blinked several times, staring up at the ceiling.

No dreams again.

It was strange. For so long, she had grown accustomed to waking in a panic, drenched in sweat and screaming. At first, because of what she had done to her best friend. Then, for months after leaving Konoha, because she still couldn't save Sasuke.

The silence was deafening.

_I am coming to the end of it now. There's no turning back. _

The last few days had gone by in a haze, each grey day bleeding sleepily into the next. After healing Deidara, the complex had grown quiet, and no new visitors had come. She had only run into Itachi once, no words were spoken between them. But the tension remained, a taut, invisible wire seemed to stretch between them, and she had played absently with the silver ring on her finger as he walked away from her.

_How long will this go on? What do I have to do?_

It was only Itachi that seemed to know why she was here. She'd have to get answers from him.

She rose, her bare feet touching the carpet gingerly. She needed to move, to shake away the cobwebs. Turning to the window, she knew better than to hope for sun, but as long as it wasn't raining heavily, she could use some time on the training grounds. Thus far, it appeared to be misty, but no rain.

She dressed quickly, donning the Akatsuki robe, and left her room. It occurred to her that she hadn't checked on her patient yet either, although she was confident she had dealt with his wounds sufficiently. He made her uncomfortable; the blonde had stared at her openly through the entire healing session with his wide blue eyes, and when she administered the painkilling chakra infusion, he had smirked, sinking into the pillow with a short groan. 

"You'll need to be careful around here, yeah," he had said huskily, his eyes blessedly closed. "They'll be coming to you for paper cuts and bruises soon," he added with a laugh.

At the time, she hadn't asked what his mission had been, though she couldn't help but be curious. Sakura's own induction to the criminal organization had been less than entirely voluntary, and she had no idea what their goal was now; had it remained the same, to hunt the jinchuuriki, her choice would have been much more difficult. But it had to have altered, and she wondered what kept them around, what had attracted them in the first place. Or were they like her, broken and trapped, forever chasing hope until a dangled carrot was finally cut from its string.

Her thoughts slowed as she reached the kitchen. She went to the stove, taking up the teapot and filling it with water, setting it to flame and heading to the refrigerator. A light breakfast of fruit and rice seemed the best thing. She brought the pears to the cutting board, and glanced at the teapot again. Her curiosity started to rear its head, the voice in the back of her mind tittering and grinning. She slapped it down.

_Well, it couldn't hurt to bring him some breakfast._

Sakura pulled the tray out from behind the coffee pot and set it before her, making two plates of food and two cups of tea, realizing belatedly that she had no idea whether Deidara was still here. But she _had_ told him to remain for a week to recuperate. It was early; he was probably still in bed.

_A good doctor always checks on her patients._

Tray readied, she scampered toward Deidara's room. It was in the same part of the complex as her own, and as she reached his door, she started to think better of it.

Sakura shook her head; before she could reconsider, she knocked. She heard some shuffling from behind the door.

"Hmm… just a second."

The door swung open after a minute, revealing Deidara half-dressed in a pair of black cotton pants, his hair loosely hanging over his shoulder. His pale blue eyes glittered with mischief.

He laughed when he saw her, the tray carrying food for two. "Well, Sakura. Breakfast in bed, yeah?"

Sakura scowled unconvincingly. "I should check your wounds, and I thought since I need to eat, I may as well kill two birds with one stone."

Now he laughed heartily, his head tilting back… Sakura's eyes wandered absently over the planes of his stomach. He stopped after a few moments, running his fingers through his hair. "Strange choice of words, yeah… here, bring in the tray. Eat first, or do you want to poke and prod me first?" She noticed the sharpness of his canines for a moment as he grinned at her.

"We can eat first." Sakura brought the tray in to a short table by the window, which already had two leather chairs beside it. "Has the wound healed well, then? Any signs of infection?" She brought a strawberry to her mouth, chewing thoughtfully as she eyed the wound on his abdomen; from the looks of it, there was no infection in the immediate area, and it would leave a nearly invisible, small scar.

"Nope. Seems fine to me; do I really need to sit on my ass for another three days?" He hadn't touched his food; instead he seemed keen on watching _her_ eat.

"You're fine to walk around, as I'm sure you've been doing anyway. But no training or anything strenuous – if you open that back up I'm not going to fix it again."

"I hate doctors, yeah." He glanced up at Sakura quickly. "Well, you don't totally count. Not really." He smiled, finally picking up a pile of grapes.

Sakura watched him for a moment out of the corner of her eye. It was strange; she felt as if she knew him. He seemed open, unguarded, genuine. He had an easy smile, and his warm blue eyes regarded her with earnest admiration…

…_blue eyes… blonde hair… warm and genuine…_

_Naruto._ Sakura's eyes widened, and her lips began to tremble.

The easy grin melted off Deidara's face as he watched her. "Hey, hey… you look like you've seen a ghost… you all right?"

She blinked and shook her head, barely keeping the tears from escaping, biting her lip to stop the tremors there. _A ghost… _She grabbed a rice ball from the plate and took a large bite, chewing, swallowing carefully. "Yeah, fine. Sorry. You just…. Sort of remind me of someone, that's all."

Deidara's face took on a slightly knowing cast, his eyes briefly scanning the wall of mist outside the window. "I get that a lot, yeah." A little fire of mischief lit his eyes for a moment as the grin returned. "But if you tell me I look like a girl, I _will_ kick your ass, I don't care if you _are_ a chick!"

Sakura did her damnedest not to spit tea all over the man. Thankfully she managed to swallow, as ripples of laughter seized her, the almost-tears of a moment ago changed now to earnest ones, this time from mirth. She giggled as she said, "I'll keep that in mind, Deidara." Having finished her breakfast, she rose from the table and went to Deidara's chair, kneeling carefully in front of him and looking up at his face. "All right, let me just take a quick look then I'll be out of your hair."

He looked down at her and shrugged. "No rush, yeah. I don't have any plans today."

After a few moments of gently pressing exploratory chakra into the wound, Sakura stood up, satisfied. "Everything looks fine. In fact I think you're probably clear after two more days to start training, just take it easy at first."

"What, no painkillers? Doc, it's… ugh…" He clutched at it slightly, making a face. "But it really hurts!"

Sakura raised a single, delicate pink eyebrow. "I sincerely doubt that. So no, no painkillers for you."

The charade ended, and Deidara sighed theatrically. "Fine. See if I do you any favors!"

"See you later, Deidara." Sakura said as she opened the door.

"Hey, Sakura…" He called. "Thanks."

She nodded, smiled, and closed the door.

* * *

The mist outside was thickening by the minute. She had watched it grow thicker from the window in Deidara's room, a white, billowing wall, and no visibility. Sakura wasn't so sure training now would be a good idea. 

Which left her, once again, with nothing at all to do.

She strode to her room. _I suppose I can clean and sharpen my weapons… check on my herbal stocks…_

Sakura reached her door and turned the knob, pushing gently on the wood.

"Sakura."

Sakura's face rose, her eyes widened in shock and plastered on the wood grain before her. She had not sensed him. Again.

She turned, her jaw clenched; he was only two feet away from her. "Itachi. What is it?"

He observed the tension in her features. "I'm sorry. I did not intend to startle you."

She looked into his eyes, looking for some indication of sincerity, _something_ to give her a feel for his state of mind. No good. Completely blank. There was another boy like him, his obsidian eyes flinty and cold; only that boy had seemed perpetually angry, the only emotion she had ever truly seen him display, that and annoyance…

_What is it about these people, this place? It's as if I'm being followed by them…_

She turned to the door again, opening it completely and entering her room. "Do you always sneak up on people like that?" She left the door open, walking swiftly to her desk and removing her robe, hanging it over the chair there. She gripped the wood of the chair back tightly, trying to get a grip on her rushing blood. His eyes had pulled at her, she could not help but be drawn to their keenness, as sharp as a blade. _Sasuke…_

There was no response. She heard his light treads walking into the room, and the door gently clicking shut. She closed her eyes tightly.

His footfalls moved toward her bookcase. "Have you studied these yet?" He asked softly.

She turned to him, watching his fingers brush the bindings of the books. "No, not yet."

"I thought it appropriate to have these transferred to your room. You might find something useful."

Her curiosity piqued, she approached the bookshelf, eyeing its contents. They were medical texts and scrolls, all of them… an entire wall full of them, most completely foreign to her. They looked old. Slowly, a smile began to tug at her lips as she stared in wonder. What a treasure!

Sakura was completely focused on them now; her eyes brimmed with glee, and she turned to reach for one on a shelf a few feet above her, but she couldn't quite make it - she needed more leverage. She reached out to Itachi, her fingers hooking into the collar of his cloak, leaning into him slightly.

She heard him draw a breath through his teeth, and suddenly she was very, very aware of their proximity. She was up on her tiptoes, and her eyes as she turned were now level with his mouth, its soft, sensual shape sending a little shock down her spine.

He looked down at her now, a small smirk causing ghostly echoes of remembrance ringing through her mind. His hand had risen now to softly encircle her own, his warm fingers closing over it and removing it from his collar.

"Which book do you need?" He asked quietly, looking at her.

His hand delicately lowered hers from his touch, his fingertips brushing her wrist as he released it. The contact sent a shiver through her, his eyes bore through her. _Sasuke, ah kami, Sasuke, he's so like you… and so close…_

She tore her gaze away and glanced up at the book, pointing to it. "There."

He reached up easily and pulled the book from the shelf, handing it to her. "I've read this one. Not being a medical practitioner, though, I was unable to put the knowledge to use."

Sakura accepted the book, and with a deep breath, brought it to the table by the window, trying to get a hold of her shaken aspect.

_This man murdered everyone in the Uchiha clan except Sasuke. He is not the same. He is not Sasuke…_

But he was so similar… and so near… and so soft… and who was she to judge a murderer? As much as she wanted to tell herself how different they were… were they really?

She steeled herself. _You are here to save Sasuke, and that is exactly what you will do._

"It's a text on chakra transformation and manipulation," Sakura stated, hesitantly at first, but gaining confidence. This was her area of expertise, after all. "Certainly necessary for surgery, and for altering the nature of it for various medical purposes; although, really, the general concepts could be applied outside of the medical arts."

She sat at the table, opening the book and already she had started reviewing its contents. Itachi joined her, removing his cloak and hanging it over the chair. She glanced up briefly; his mesh shirt left little to the imagination.

"That was my thought as well; where might you apply the concepts outside of medicine?"

The conversation continued well into the night, and she was shocked at how much about her field Itachi knew. It was clear that his mind was constantly working, always looking for information and advantages. Knowledge was certainly power, and while Sakura knew she possessed a prodigious hunger for information, Itachi rivaled it, even becoming slightly more animated when she would touch on points or applications of parts of the texts that he hadn't considered.

He was particularly well versed on the psychological texts they began to peruse. This was her least well-rounded subject, since her realm was largely biological medicine, but he taught her something here; the connection between mind and body was powerful, and _manipulable_. Of course, there were myriad applications for this in medicine, and she relished the discussion.

By the time their conversation began winding down, there were stacks of books four and five high on the desk, and their chairs had by necessity been moved closer to each other.

Sakura closed the last book and set it on the table. Itachi rose from his chair, and settled his robe back onto his shoulders.

"Are you hungry, Sakura?"

She nodded. "Yes, I suppose I am. It's dark outside; it must be later than I thought."

He strode to the door, opening it. When she remained in her seat, he turned, and looked at her over his shoulder. He kept looking at her when she remained inert. It began to make her uncomfortable, but… somehow she couldn't look away.

"Itachi…?" She questioned.

"Come. There should still be some stock in the kitchen."

"…oh!" Sakura became inexplicably nervous. _Why should I be nervous about eating dinner?_ "I… I wouldn't want to intrude upon you, I can make dinner later…"

"Come."

Sakura took a deep, slightly tremulous breath. "All right."

She followed him through the dark corridors, finally reaching the kitchen. Itachi looked at her briefly, then headed to the stove to start the teapot going. Sakura decided it was likely that he didn't really know his way around a kitchen, and smirking slightly, she went to the refrigerator and started taking out vegetables.

"Stir fry, I think. Doesn't look like there's much else to make." She brought a bag of rice and the vegetables to the cutting board and began slicing them. Itachi moved to her right, not three feet away. He was staring out the window over the sink into the graying twilight.

The teapot began to whistle. Sakura's actions remained locked on her task, but her mind whirled… she desperately tried to still it. _I am a medic-nin. This is my job. I am a medic-nin, this is my job…_ it really wasn't working this time…

Before her body could react to the movement, she realized that Itachi was reaching for the teapot that sat on the stove to her left, but he was on her right. He had moved in somewhat closer, the intoxicating scent of rain-washed loam rippling from his hair, and she was trying to shut out the sensation of the warmth from his body… the next moment, there was blood staining the cutting board.

"OH, kami… Itachi! I'm so sorry, I must have nicked you…" She dropped the knife and turned to him, looking into his eyes… impassive as ever. 

He extended his arm to her. Her fingers trailed the wound, a small gash on the inside of his forearm.

_So stupid!_

She reached for the towel hanging from the cupboards by her side, and carefully, slowly wiped the blood from the cut, cradling his arm with her left hand while preparing chakra with her right.

The first task was to ensure the gash was clean, and her chakra acted as an antiseptic to cleanse it. Then, acting as sutures, she closed it, carefully mending each layer of skin. Then, a soothing infusion of painkilling chakra, as her fingers brushed the edges of the newly mended flesh to ensure it was cleanly done… as her thumb passed his pulse point, there it was again, an accelerated heart rate.

She frowned, puzzled, and looked up at Itachi.

He was breathing hoarsely, his beautiful onyx eyes burning fiercely. They locked onto hers, and he stepped in closer, his other arm rising, his fingers gently taking hold of a lock of her soft pink hair, pulling it out of the shelter of her collar and slowly, slowly tracing down its length until it reached her collarbone. His thumb caressed her there, his touches leaving a trail of fire across her skin, as she struggled to keep her breathing even and failed utterly.

_Why… why am I not stopping him? Where is this coming from… why… why couldn't this be Sasuke…_

She had never been touched this way before. She was young, and she wanted to be touched this way… his eyes were so beautiful, and he seemed to truly want her…

His face was descending agonizingly slowly, and she could feel the heat growing in her cheeks and in her body, pooling in her core, her lips trembling in anticipation. He was still looking into her eyes, his rapid breaths matching her own.

_No!_

An iron wall rose up as she realized what was happening. She ripped herself away harshly, taking a step back. She was terribly afraid now.

_This is not for you. This is for Sasuke!_

She ran out of the room to the sound of metal hitting the floor, the knife falling from the countertop as her robe swept behind her. She ran, as fast as she could, tears falling from her eyes and into her collar.

_Sasuke… that is for you… even if you still don't want it… you still don't want it…_

She entered her room, slammed the door, and sunk into her bed, weeping her frustration into her pillow bitterly.

That night, she dreamt of a field full of flowers, and her cheeks being kissed by the rays of the sun.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the teasing, but I assure you things shall heat up rapidly from here.

I worry now that I run a big risk of disappointing one or the other (or both) of the pairing camps – ItaSaku or SasuSaku. But at this point, I've got a lock on how I'm going to handle it.

I will only ask and hope that you can keep an open mind, and enjoy the story either way, even if the pairing you're cheerleading for doesn't win out in the end…. :) crosses fingers

Please do review, it makes me all tingly ;)


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto

A/N: OK, pivotal chapter here. Enjoy :)

_**Chapter 8**_

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered slightly, heavily. She was unaware of the soft smile that played at her lips… her dreams had been warm and wonderful last night, a soothing balm against all the disquiet that had plagued her mind before sleep had taken her.

There was warmth on her cheek. _Strange…_

Her eyes opened to find a gentle slant of morning sunlight playing over her pillow. Now her smile cracked wide.

"Sun! The sun is out!" She rose quickly, scampering to the window and laughing, ignoring the slight chill on her bare skin. It felt like a gift. "Time for some training!" The inner turmoil of the evening before was entirely forgotten now, as she piled her clothes into her arms and ran to the bathroom adjoining her room. _A quick shower, a little breakfast, then off I go…_

Sakura jogged lightly to the kitchen, her shuriken pouch tinkling slightly as she reached up to her thick, wet hair with a pair of sticks at the ready, twisting it into a loose, soft coil on the back of her head.

Just before she crossed the threshold to the kitchen, she sensed him.

"Good morning, Deidara!" She smiled; he was dressed in his full Akatsuki attire this time, his hair pulled into a top knot.

He smiled back. "Well, someone's chipper this morning. I suppose it's rare enough for us to get sun like this, yeah," he said, munching on an apple. "So what's on the schedule for my favorite medic?"

Sakura was already rooting through the refrigerator, noting it was nearly time to hit the village again for a restock.

"Hah! I'm the _only_medic," she teased. "I need to get outside, get my limbs moving. Going to hit the training grounds today." She shut the refrigerator door, having rooted out some fruit and rice. _Same old stuff… I'll need to find something a little more exciting to eat next time…_

"Now _that _sounds like a good plan, medic… mind if I join you?"

She eyed him dubiously. "Hmm. It's still a little early… here, let me take a quick look at you."

"Feel free!" He said gleefully, raising his mesh shirt so she could take a look. "But, doc… no painkillers or, whatever the hell that is this time, I don't think my heart can take it, yeah," he said, his eyes slyly observing her from the side.

She paused before touching the wound and looked up at him in confusion. "OK, what the hell does that even mean? It's just a chakra infusion to deaden pain."

Deidara laughed, shaking his head. "Wait a minute, you're the medic… you should know what that stuff is doing, yeah? Sakura, whatever it is, it does more than deal with _pain._" He looked into her eyes meaningfully. "The way it _feels, _it's… uh, very…_personal_, and with a beautiful girl like you touching me at the same time… I mean, I think I should get to know you a little better before we…"

_SMACK!_

"Hey!" He winced, rubbing his thigh. "You mean you really don't know? Sakura, that stuff is… _powerful,_ yeah," he finished with a sigh.

Sakura's eyes widened as his meaning finally hit her full force. _Oh, kami…_ She hadn't known. She thought it was just for deadening pain, or at least that's what she thought she'd read. _It's just… oh no… Itachi…_

_His speeding pulse… he asked me to stop, that first night… and yesterday… oh kami. What could he think of me?_

"No. I… I didn't know. I thought it was just… _shit_," she cursed softly and looked up at him. "I had no idea, I'm sorry. I guess I need to adjust that jutsu…"

"Hey, don't change anything on my account!" She glanced at him dangerously, and his hands rose to defend his body. "OKAY, okay, no need to smack me again, I'll shut up."

Sakura finished her examination somewhat distractedly and rose, rubbing her neck as a flush of pink suffused her cheeks. "Well, I think you can do a bit of training today, as long as it's not too strenuous." She bit her lip at her choice of words. "Let's finish up breakfast and head out. I want to catch the sun before it's gone."

"Sounds good to me." Deidara rose and walked to the refrigerator, pulling out a corked ceramic bottle. "Just in case we need it; you don't always need to use chakra to ease pain anyway," he said with a wink, shaking the bottle and grinning.

* * *

The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent in a sunny, open field, the waving grasses initially dotted with glistening dew, then emitting a soft steam as the sun melted away the remnants of night.

Sakura and Deidara lay side by side in the grasses, the field surrounding them covered in small craters and rifts from their sparring match.

Deidara huffed, rolling onto his side with slightly gritted teeth.

Sakura smiled. _Serves him right for taunting me._

"Hmm. I just realized something," he said, watching her supine form, eyes tracing her curves, her long pink hair splayed and shining on the earth.

"What's that?"

"You mold chakra like clay. Like it's almost… art, yeah," he finished as her sea-foam eyes meandered his way. "I've never seen anything like it. Taking so many different forms." He grunted. "Although even after taking a sock in the chin from that fist of yours, I'd still say the one that's the most evil is the form I encountered first. Drink?"

He extended the sake bottle to her. She eyed it warily; she wasn't much of a drinker, but a little couldn't hurt. _Old enough to give up your life for the village, old enough for sake. _She lifted her torso, leaning back on one of her hands and accepted it, taking a swig, her lips curling back. "Mmm. It's good."

They lay there for a while, passing the bottle back and forth, Deidara molding tiny balls of clay into little treasures; flowers, insects, birds.

Sakura's head was a little fuzzy now, but even at that, she recognized a familiar chakra signature. It was fairly near, somewhere on the extensive training grounds. And there was another joining it. Her curiosity piqued, she lifted herself a little shakily to her feet, looking down at Deidara.

"Well, I'm done for the day; and by the looks of you, you are too." She extended her hand to him and smiled.

He accepted it, nodding. "I'm cooked, yeah," he said. "I'm heading back to my room, I need some sleep… or maybe just another bottle. I haven't decided which."

She laughed lightly. "Sleep. Go get some sleep. I'll see you later, Deidara." She waved, and turning, she began to jog toward the chakra she'd sensed.

It was closer to the complex than she and Deidara had been; she was closing in on it, and by the looks of it, it was inside the walls. She dashed over the wall with a push of chakra, and landed a little wobbly, her eyes tracing up to find them.

It was Itachi and Kisame. It seemed that they were preparing to spar.

By now, the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange and violet glow on the landscape. Itachi stood about six feet from Kisame, wearing his mesh shirt and black pants, a wickedly sharp katana gleaming in his hand, the slight breeze causing its metal to sing. The blade cut the air.

Kisame took a wide stance, his enormous sword at the ready. With a growling yell, he charged.

Itachi vanished, reappearing at Kisame's side, the sweep of his katana slicing wisps of hair off the shark man's head as Kisame ducked and swept his leg around sharply, trying to catch the Uchiha's ankles. But Itachi was much too fast, and before Kisame could blink, he found himself in a slightly knotted position, crouching; he'd had to turn his torso the opposite direction of his legs quickly to position Samehada to defend against a brutal down swipe.

Sakura watched quietly, in absolute awe. She hadn't actually witnessed many weapon fights; it was deadly, and frightening, and exquisite. Their blades danced and sparked against each other, one with power, one with insane speed and grace, carving sinuous patterns into the backdrop of the sunset, his body flowing through the forms like quicksilver.

Kisame seemed to be getting frustrated now; his grunts and growls growing ever more impatient. It was futile; he simply could not keep Itachi still for long enough to land a blow, and by now Kisame had been dealt several injuries, though minor. His opponent had purposefully spared him, and he was infuriated.

Itachi stood with his back to Kisame, sparing a glance over his shoulder; he watched a familiar set of seals form on the sharks' fingers and smirked, unmoved.

Wisps of mist began to coalesce around their bodies, growing thicker, curls of whiteness obscuring Sakura's view. She frowned and tried to sidle closer… the hair on the back of neck rose as she felt the slivers of alien chakra forming the unnatural mists, the moisture beading on her eyelashes and cheeks.

She couldn't see anything clearly anymore; the final curtain call for the sunset shone a blood-washed violet as she struggled to catch a glimpse of them, calling a small pulse of chakra to her eyes in hopes of magnifying their sensitivity.

It was dead quiet. Suddenly, with absolutely _no sound_, she watched the gigantic sword rise through the white, its owner following like a phantom.

The blade fell –

"_Itachi!_" It came out as a strangled whisper… but in the absolute silence, it may as well have been a shout.

The mists parted and began to dissipate. Once she could see again, she saw Itachi, hunched over, blood flowing freely from his shoulder.

Kisame sought and found her. "You _moron!_ What the hell were you thinking making noise like that? He's seen that trick of mine a thousand times, and it's not like I'd kill him even if he _had _fallen for it!" He continued to grumble under his breath, moving to Itachi and pulling the fallen man to his feet, grabbing him roughly around the waist. "I'll get him to his room, _you_ get to deal with the mess. Son of a bitch…"

Sakura followed in a panic, her vision blurring. _I didn't think, it just came out…_

They made their way to the complex, Kisame's steps quick and short.

He reached Itachi's room, and dumped the man on the bed, blood immediately wetting his sheets. With one last glare at the pink kunoichi, he left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

_I am a medic. That is my job._

Her face went blank, though her hands shook minutely; the sake was still buzzing through her blood.

She went to the bed, carefully adjusting his body, hooking her arm gently under his shoulders; his teeth ground audibly under the strain of movement.

Having moved him fully onto his back, Sakura straddled him, placing her hands on either side of his shoulders. Her fingers flew deftly through two quick hand signs, her fingers slicing the torn fabric of his shirt to remove it.

The gash over his shoulder was long and jagged, as if it had been ripped by razor wire. Her brow knit. _This will be difficult to heal… and it will hurt like hell._ The flesh was truly mangled.

She concentrated hard, pouring her chakra into her hands, a sheen of sweat rising on her forehead.

_First, stop the blood loss._

_Now, an infusion for the pain. He cannot move during the procedure._

_Pulse increase… dammit._

_Move, Sakura, MOVE._

_Knit the flesh, carefully, slowly, one layer at a time. Find where the pieces meet… it's just like a puzzle. You can do this._

_Twitching. His body is tensing, it's opening the wound…_ She shifted her body, leaning in closer, her breath coming hard. _Another infusion, dammit, stay _still

_Run your thumbs along the edges of the wound, look for where the muscle fibers are most damaged, ease the swelling there, then knit… kill the nerve endings here, and here… reconnect severed veins…_

_Now close it. Carefully… wait, check for infection, clear it, keep it clean… _Her knees had started shaking from her positioning, she settled into him for leverage, her body now almost flush with his.

Just as she completed the final closing, she felt breath on the shell of her ear. Her movements stopped completely. Warm fingers reached her neck and dug into her as her hair spilled over her shoulder. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

It seemed to take an eternity for her face to turn and look at him.

His jaw was hard, his beautiful eyes completely focused on her. A shiver cascaded from her neck to her toes, and she felt another set of strong fingers kneading the flesh of her hips as he stared into her eyes with a hunger she had never seen before in her life.

Her lips parted as she gasped in realization – _the infusions…_

"Itachi… I'm sor.." she wasn't allowed to complete the sentence.

His lips met hers, firm and insistent, and her body was strung completely with sensation, a breathy moan escaping her and filling his mouth, eliciting a low growl from him. His hands were hot against her skin, pulling her hips closer, and now his tongue gently played against hers.

She was lost. Completely, utterly lost. Her hands snaked into his soft hair, and her thighs tensed and hugged him as she rode the motion he was creating, pulling closer to him. The hand on her hip rose, slowly, tracing the curve of her body under her shirt. His hands were so strong, and clutched her at intervals… his hands insistent on her body, her soft skin electric. His mouth never stopped its ministrations, demanding.

"Ah…" The sound was high-pitched and surprised as he touched her. The hand on her neck moved down now, pulling her body into him hard, guiding her from the small of back.

Before she sensed the movement, he had flipped her, her hair covering the pillow, pieces sticking to her face. His weight on her felt amazing, and she arched into it, a free hand gripping the pillow tightly.

His lips parted from hers for a moment.

_No…_

Her hand reached up to touch his face, fingers tracing his jaw. She was delirious now, and she didn't want him to stop…

He regarded her for another moment, her touch causing a momentary lapse in his heartbeat. "Why are you not running from me now, Sakura?"

Her mind was spinning, she just wanted that feeling back again, that wonderful _sensation_, to have him _needing_ her, _wanting_ her, finally, someone truly _wanted _her…

"Because…" She looked into his deep, black eyes, her fingers gently touching the soft sweep of his lashes. "Because I trust you."

His eyes narrowed now, slightly. "Why do you trust me?"

"Because I think… I think, somehow, you're as desperate for something as I am." She smiled faintly, her hand cupping his cheek. "Is that not enough? Am I wrong?" Her eyelids fluttered faintly… she could feel her body realizing its own exhaustion and limits… _the sensation is waning… ah, please, bring it back…_

His face turned then, looking at the wall, then descended to bury his nose into her neck and hair. His eyes closed, and his arms tightened around her.

_It's not enough…?_ Sakura thought vaguely, as the heat and weight of his body faded, receding. The absence of it was almost a physical blow, and her body shut down, her eyes closed and her heart slowly began to resume its usual speed… the chakra drain had been intense.

* * *

He had never come so close to a release from pain as he did with her. And it was the last thing he deserved.

"Sasuke…" she breathed, as her eyes closed on the world.

The fingers caressing her neck slowly clutched the sheets in a trembling fist.

Taking one last, deep breath of her, he tore himself away, rose, and turned to the window, looking out at the silver moon, his face betraying for a moment that he was human.

It was enough.

_The game is over._

He spoke to the sky. "Be careful what you wish for, Sakura. He will not thank you for it."

* * *

She woke abruptly, shooting bolt upright in a flash.

He was not there.

Her memories swam, vague, but she remembered, _oh, kami,_ she remembered caresses, and lips, and searching hands… and it was _not _Sasuke.

She looked down at herself… no robes, still fully clothed, but her shirt had ridden up…

_What have I done?_

She stood, feeling the desperate need to get _out._

Something caught her eye briefly; on the nightstand. A picture.

…_she looked up at a full moon peering over a telephone pole…_

… _eyes grazed the walls, pock-marked and decaying…_

… _a rock skidding across the ground in front of a larger house on the compound…_

… _an irregularity in the dust; a print…_

On the broken picture of the Uchiha family, there was a ragged hole, where someone was missing.

And a drop of blood marred its surface.

She was gone from the complex in less than two minutes.

* * *

He had been here almost a week now. _Or was it a full week? All these days are just fusing together…_

He had been unable to find a trace of the man he'd fought, and no one in town had any information for him. At least, that they would _willingly_ divulge. The thought of torturing the lowlifes he'd questioned appealed briefly, but he let it go. Who knew whether information gleaned in that manner was even accurate?

But this was the closest he'd come in months. He had to remain here, in hopes that he'd get another break. Somehow this place seemed _right._ It was just instinct. He had no logical reason for remaining here; perhaps he should check Rain's Hidden Village; surely there'd be something to gather there. It made more sense than staying here.

But somehow, it felt_right_ to stay. And his instincts were rarely wrong.

_I can't stand it here. I hate the constant rain, I hate the seedy people and the seedy bars, I hate that he got away, I hate that I have too much time to bloody _think.

There was only one thing he hated more than thinking about what he'd left behind. So he did his utmost to push those thoughts away, and stay focused on his goal. More often than not, conjuring the image of Itachi made it easy to drown out all else.

But sometimes… other thoughts cracked through.

He strode through the somewhat busy streets, pulling his cloak closer to his body now. The short respite from the rain they'd enjoyed yesterday was over.

He stopped. His eyes narrowed and scanned the crowd, the walls, the doors, every entrance and opening and crack adjacent to his location. A shinobi was coming near; somehow familiar, and _fast_. He would have to prepare for this one. Whoever it was, their signature seemed so _precise_, as if the chakra infused in each step was placed like a piece on a shogi board.

Before he could place it, he simply braced. The crowd around him in the square had no idea what was about to happen. He smirked.

_This should be interesting…_

That, as it happened, was a severe understatement.

Ten feet in front of him, the shinobi… the kunoichi, stopped abruptly, her profile coming into view. Her long, pink hair swung forward with the sudden halt in her momentum, settling slowly over her shoulders, the curves of her form clear through the black, fitted outfit she wore.

Her large eyes were glistening, a green so radiant they appeared lit from within.

She turned to face him.

Her generous, scarlet mouth spoke in a hush. "Sasuke…"

He was utterly stunned.

She approached him, slowly at first, but her last steps were a frantic rush, and she threw herself at him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"I… I can't believe it… Sasuke, it's really you, Sasuke…" She was crying.

_She's alive… she's actually survived… and here I was bracing for a battle with some powerful…_ He checked himself. What he was bracing for_was_ her. There was no denying it.

His arms twitch, raise an inch for a moment, and then descend again, hanging at his sides. But he closes his eyes, tightly, and very, very slightly, leans into her, breathing for just a moment into her hair.

He would never say it aloud. But in that moment, she felt like _home._

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it, and I hope the direction/tilt is working for you.

The picture she found is from Chapter 1 (right after the prologue). Did you remember it, or has it just been too long? Hehe.

Please review. Thanks :)


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

Sasuke disengaged from the trembling kunoichi, stepping back. Her hands slid down his shoulders slowly.

Sakura smiled weakly, taking him in; he no longer wore the Sound garb. A dark blue cloak with a wide hood covered most of his body, and his hair was still a spiky black, tinged with midnight blue. And those eyes that he tried so much to harden still carried that pride, and yes, warmth. She could see it. Few did. _Yes, this is him. Now I remember. There are no substitutes._

"Sakura." She looked up at him, eyes tremulous but no longer weeping. "What are you doing here?"

She tore her eyes away from him. _He was there… he knows why I'm here… how could he not know how badly I've wanted to see him, the sacrifices I've made for him… _"I… I can't go back," she said roughly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know why I can't go back, just as you couldn't…" She remembered. When Naruto was dragged back home with a hole in his chest, she couldn't believe what Sasuke had done…

Sakura raised her face to him, her look resolute. "I _won't_ go back. There are some things you can't take back, Sasuke."

Sasuke frowned, looking away, a shadow briefly crossing his obsidian eyes. "Go home, Sakura."

"Home…" she spoke quietly. "Home isn't what it was before, is it?"

The sweet scent of her hair swelled on the morning breeze.

He pivoted quickly, turning his back to her. "You don't belong here. And I don't have time to escort you back to the village."

Sakura's jaw hardened. She angrily wiped away all remaining traces of tears from her cheeks, stepping toward him. "I'm not the same. I'm not the girl you left on that bench years ago."

Sasuke's hands curled into fists. "I am seeking only one thing, Sakura. One man." Turning, he closed the short distance between them, his voice low and deadly. "And I will do it alone. I do not need any distractions. It is _not_ for you, do you understand?"

_One man… _Sakura's mind was suddenly thrown into turmoil. It was only in that moment that her brain truly formed the synapses that actually connected Sasuke, the boy she'd loved since she was twelve, to Itachi, the real, in-the-flesh man who offered her Sasuke's salvation; the same man who made it necessary in the first place.

They were so similar. The same aloofness, the same intensity… the same eyes that fought so hard to hide the soul behind them, the same words that wounded so badly… it was merely the _root_ of their detachment from the world that differed.

Itachi sought power above all else; but something about him gnawed at her, and she didn't quite believe that he wasn't _human_ under there somewhere. She _had_ to believe he was human, despite his crimes, if there was any hope at all for her own redemption.

And Sasuke had only ever professed to having one goal. Murder. It was strange to think of it that way now. But no matter what Itachi had done, it was still murder. Sakura realized with a start that the only one of the three of them who had _not_ yet committed the most heinous crime may well be Sasuke. But could she say that Itachi did not deserve to pay for his crimes?

_If Sasuke is his brother's judge and executioner, why not judge me?_

Suddenly Sakura had no idea what she could offer Sasuke. He would not change his lifelong goal. But if she aided him now, it would be an unbelievable hypocrisy. Her mind flashed to Itachi's desperate, needy caresses from the night before… she'd been delirious, and Itachi was so…

…_so like his brother. Oh, kami… Sasuke has every right to judge me. And I'll let him do just that._

Her face went blank.

* * *

Sasuke watched her struggle with her thoughts. In the end, he'd expected more tears, more forced embraces, something… not this. He'd never seen this before from the soft, pink-haired girl he'd known. It just seemed…_wrong. _He had to end this now. The comfort of avoidance once again seemed the best solution. "Obviously there's no sense in talking with you. I don't know what you're doing out here, but I have other things to do." With that, he started walking away.

Suddenly he felt a painfully strong grip on his forearm.

He stopped walking and his muscles tensed, reflexively pivoting and withdrawing a kunai with his left hand in one smooth motion, not bothering to disengage his right arm which was still in Sakura's grasp.

His confusion began when the kunai met with empty air where Sakura's neck should have been. Of course he had intended only to scare her, but…

There was an audible_pop_ as the bunshin disintegrated, and a whiff of that sweet scent again as he turned his head forward, to find Sakura in front of him with the same blank stare.

_Tch._

"Fine," Sakura said as he straightened. "If you want me to prove myself, I'm willing. What do you say, Sasuke?"

"What the hell are you talking about, prove yourself? I told you I don't know what you're doing out here, and I don't care. You go your way, I'll go mine."

"I think you _do_care, Sasuke. And if you don't, you damn well should. I have a debt to pay and I intend to see it done."

_Who _is_ this woman?! _A deep scowl etched Sasuke's features. "I don't have time for this. Leave me alone, Sakura."

"No."

Sasuke was growing more and more impatient. His hands started to twitch. _What is she after? _"All right, what do you want from me, Sakura? You want to play stupid games? Fine. _What do you want?_"

"You say you seek 'one man'." Her eyes narrowed. "Have you _ever_ heard of him being separated from his Akatsuki partner?"

Sasuke was briefly surprised. Apparently she'd been gathering intelligence on them as well. It was an issue he'd often considered, but he'd had no choice but to hope that he would find them separated one day. Or just hope that Itachi wanted Sasuke solo, too.

He mirrored her stance. "What are you getting at?"

"It's simple. I keep Kisame entertained while you deal with Itachi."

Sasuke smirked, a mirthless chuckle simmering below the surface. "Sakura, these are s-class shinobi. You're no match for-"

"Try me."

Sasuke ran his hands through his hair, throwing his head back. _This is insane._ "Fine, Sakura. But you need to leave me alone after this."

"Not a chance."

Something was definitely very, very wrong with the world when Sasuke Uchiha was speaking in full sentences and Sakura Haruno was monotonous and blank.

Very wrong, indeed.

Sasuke sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

It took only a few minutes to get a suitable distance away from the village; though Sasuke didn't expect it to last long, the locals likely wouldn't appreciate the scuffle happening right there in the square.

He turned to look at Sakura; she was carefully scanning the surroundings, her eyes darting rapidly across the landscape, at the ground, the trees, the sky. Finally she turned to Sasuke, her eyes roving his body; he wasn't entirely comfortable with it, but her expression looked more as if she was performing long division in her head than appreciating him. Her gaze paused on the grip of his katana.

She looked at him and raised one finger, as if asking for a moment. He raised an eyebrow.

Sakura reached into a pouch and withdrew a small scroll. Placing it on the ground, she made a fist and slammed it into the scroll's seal; in a puff of smoke, three weapons appeared; sai.

_When the hell did she learn how to use _those

Tucking them away in the small of her back and on the sides of her belt, she then reached into another pouch, producing a pair of long gloves backed in metal. She pulled these on carefully, ensuring they were secure at the ends by giving them a _snap._

At this point Sasuke decided perhaps he should size her up as well.

Besides the obvious new weapons and the gloves (and the longer hair… and the fact that she certainly no longer had a twelve year old's body…) he didn't necessarily detect anything else different or out of the ordinary…

_Wait a minute._

He started to count the number of pouches she wore. Typically, one might expect two, possibly three pouches. One for shuriken and wire, one for kunai, and one possibly for exploding tags and other little extras, like smoke bombs, soldier pills or scrolls.

Sakura wore five.

_What is she carrying in those?_

She regarded him mutely. It appeared she was waiting for him now. He had to admit, he was curious. Maybe even a little excited.

Sakura was distracted for just a moment. She turned to look at her shoulder suddenly, a smile playing at her lips. An emerald dragonfly had landed there, its iridescent wings humming softly. She turned to Sasuke now, her eyes burning, the challenge in them clear.

"All right, Sakura." He smirked. "Go."

He stayed stock still. She did the same.

_It's a fool's game to take the first move. Seems we both know that._

A breeze blew across the field.

After a minute or so, Sakura simply shrugged, looked at Sasuke briefly, made a fist, and with a guttural scream, punched the ground.

The earth split with a raging growl, boulders rising from the dirt and a giant fissure speeding toward him.

_Shit!_

He jumped one moment too late, but managed to grab on to the edge of the rift, hoisting himself up and flipping out of the way of another massive depth charge, this one sending splinters of rock hurtling at him like arrows. His body kept flipping until he fell into a skidding halt, his hands steadying him.

_What the fuck?! I've got to hide somewhere… one hit with that and it's over._

He took to the cover of the surrounding trees, perching in the elbow of a large aspen, panting slightly.

Sakura stood below in the middle of the destruction, grinning. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

She began scanning the surroundings; it didn't take long before her gaze fell on the tracks he'd left while retreating. She ran faster than seemed possible to the trail's terminus, her penetrating eyes scrutinizing the canopy.

_She's not giving me any breathing room. I'll have to go on the offensive. Fine with me. Two can play this game._

He appeared behind her quickly, fully expecting a replacement this time, so he withdrew his katana from its sheath before he'd even reached the spot, and executed a full 360-degree spin with blade extended the moment his feet caught earth.

She was gone. He smirked viciously.

_What goes up…_

He dropped to his back, preparing to send her launching back into the air as she fell on him, but what came before her body was a rain of senbon, and after that, all that appeared above him (after he registered the pain in his kneecaps and elbows) was a puff of smoke.

The ground shook for a split second before he realized the ruse, rolling out of the way as Sakura's fist emerged from the earth. This maneuver only caused the needles to sink further into him.

Now he was simply enraged. Sakura saw the change in his demeanor and dropped into a defensive crouch, withdrawing her weapons, evidently content to see what he'd do next.

Sasuke charged her, his katana gleaming. He executed short jabs and slices to test her defenses; she deflected the weapon against her dual sai easily, never seeking to counter.

One of Sasuke's knees gave out, just for a moment.

_The senbon… shit, did it hit a nerve?_ Sasuke's eyes widened.

It was exceedingly poor timing to suddenly realize why she wore five pouches. His sparring matches with Kabuto sprang to mind. _Fuck. She's a medic._

Whatever she'd hit, it was enough to slow him, just a little. Enough that she finally took his latest katana attack and turned it into a smooth disarm, running her sai up the blade and twisting, hard, the pointed tsuba catching his weapon and making it fall to the ground with a clatter.

He rolled out of the way as she stabbed the sai in her right hand toward him. It was a clumsy move, but it only served as a front for the real one, which was her throwing the sai in her left _at _him, the wicked point of it spinning precisely end over end. He was pissed. He ducked quickly and subtly formed hand signs as he rose, taking the opportunity to counter with a ninjutsu, the Uchiha specialty.

"Grand Fireball no jutsu!"

He registered briefly that perhaps it was overkill; a shadow of worry crossed his face as the fireball barreled forward, he stumbled along with it, losing ground to its speed, trying to make sure she didn't catch the full brunt of it…

Suddenly Sakura emerged from the center of the inferno, her hair flying in the heat and her body steaming.

_Is she… how did she…_

She simply rushed at him now, dodging his incoming kunai like an acrobat, and when he realized that not a one hit the mark, he decided to throw shuriken; her hands flew into several seals, and this time, for some reason, she didn't dodge. Not at all, not _one._

_Oh, shit, Sakura, what the hell…_

When she had closed in, ten strides away from him, she stopped running, and simply walked. Her body was bristling with the blades he'd just thrown, at least ten of them, blood oozing from the wounds. One of them had hit her neck.

"Sakura, what… why didn't you dodge…?"

His eyes widened. With each step she took, the shuriken fell out of her body one by one, tinkling to the ground, and each wound closed itself cleanly, steaming, chakra glowing gently from each sealed bit of flesh.

By the time she reached him, every hole was gone.

Sasuke simply stood gaping.

"Well, Sasuke?" She said, wiping a bit of blood from her lip with the back of her sleeve. "Is that enough?"

Sasuke closed his mouth with a faint but audible snap, narrowing his eyes. "I didn't go all out."

"I know," she replied. Sakura wrapped her hands behind her back and leaned in slightly, whispering. "Neither did I."

* * *

_YES! DAMN that felt GOOD! _Inner Sakura spoke up, for the first time in many years.

Sakura's sideways smile planted itself on her lips as she sat down on the ground in front of Sasuke, examining more carefully any wounds she'd received. She was pleased; everything had healed cleanly, and the fireball hadn't even singed her hair.

_He probably thinks that little trick was a medical ninjutsu… hah._

Really, she hadn't used any of the more "impressive" jutsu she knew, the more complex ones that took time and a great deal of chakra to execute. The one that saved her from the fireball was one that simply attracted all nearby moisture to her like a magnet; she'd effectively made herself a human sponge to prevent anything from catching on fire. In Rain Country, there was always plenty of water. She had a wide range of small jutsu like these, mostly practical, for putting out campfires and such. But, extended just a little bit, they could be used in battle.

She looked up at Sasuke, who was still eyeing her. "Here, sit down, let me fix your joints."

For once, he didn't argue, he simply dropped, keeping his knees bent; he probably couldn't have straightened them at that moment if he tried.

She leaned over him carefully, her hands glowing gently with a pale green chakra. As one hand healed him, the other slowly removed the senbon. She had a momentary flash of another fight where Sasuke had fallen, prone and bleeding to these deadly little weapons. She concentrating on restoring the ligaments for the moment, though; her attacks had only been to disable him, so it was reasonably quick work.

She looked up to find Sasuke quietly watching her. She had to check herself, bite back the reflex to leap into him; there was that _softness_, that she was certain no one else had seen.

But she knew now how foolish she was to think she deserved it.

_Maybe that really is all in my head anyway._

"There," she said, sitting back and wrapping her arms around her knees. "You should be back to normal now. Everything moving all right?"

Sasuke experimented with his knees, his elbows. He nodded shortly, leaning back and looking into the sky. "I never promised you I'd go along with your offer, you know," Sasuke stated bluntly.

"I know. But I also promised that I didn't care whether or not you agreed."

"Hn."

_That's about as close to an agreement as I can expect._

Sasuke turned to her again. "Is this where you're living?"

_Shit. I have to think fast… the truth is utterly unacceptable. "Oh, yeah, I'm just over that-a-way, living with the Akatsuki, making them tea."_

Without missing a beat, Sakura replied. "I don't really have a permanent home here. I travel around the area, tending to the farmers and their families when they're sick or injured, and bringing them supplies." _Not bad, Haruno._ "What about you, Sasuke? What brings you here?"

"I followed an Akatsuki here."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She tried to keep her disquiet from showing on her face, in her gestures. "Oh? Which one?"

He glanced at her before replying. "I don't know the name; blonde hair, rides some sort of bird… he got away."

She ground her teeth to keep from gasping… Deidara's words echoed through her head: _"The little shit caught up with me! Fuck, Itachi, what's up with the cat and mouse, yeah?"_

Sakura managed to simply nod.

"I can't find any clues as to where he might have gone. Everyone acts as if they've never seen or heard of any of them," Sasuke said. He rose to his feet. "At this point I think it's best if I moved on from here." He looked down at her, exasperation showing on his features. "Sakura, you can't be serious about this."

_What's Deidara doing luring Sasuke here? Obviously Itachi knows about this too. But… it's easier if I know exactly where Sasuke is, and if he's close; once I get the information I'm waiting for, I won't have to hunt him down… and now that I'm with him, I… damn._

"Sasuke… for today, at least … will you help me ready the supplies? Maybe if you came with me on my route, you'll find some clues?" _Great, Haruno, you don't _have_ farmers to take care of. Where the hell are you going to take him?_ She halted her thoughts. _Not as if he's going to accept anyway._

"Hn."

* * *

They spent the afternoon wandering the small, slightly dirty market square of the village. The rain had started up again, so they ducked in and out of the shops as the squalls ebbed and flowed, Sasuke insisting on carrying her satchels as they expanded.

_Hmph. He _did_ see me blow up rocks, didn't he?_

At each stand and store they stopped at, Sasuke would speak quietly to the owner or whoever was manning the shop. Sakura watched them all listen intently and shake their heads, and Sasuke would move in behind her to take up the satchels again.

_This is bad. I've been here before… so far it doesn't look like Sasuke's making any reference to me, though._

Evening fell and the air grew cooler, the rain not letting up; Sakura was lacking raingear, her clothes now completely sodden and frigid.

They made their final stop; a small stand that appeared to have the freshest produce available, though that wasn't saying much. Still, it should stand up for a few days…

She heard the hushed tones as Sasuke questioned the older woman who was stocking crates behind the stand.

"Oh, oh yes! I do believe I have seen a young man that looked like that, although he hasn't come regularly for the last couple weeks or so. He used to come every week!"

Sakura dropped back, out of sight, her blood pumping hard as she replaced all the fruit she'd been picking up. She could _not_ be seen by that woman. Sasuke was no doubt describing the Akatsuki robes to them as a means of identifying them… _Dammit, who would ever imagine we'd be in the same place at the same time…_

_Itachi… Deidara… cat and mouse…_

Sasuke returned to Sakura's side. "Looks like I've got a lead. Come on. We'll go back to the inn. I've got rooms there," Sasuke intoned, guiding her along the pathways outside to a large, wooden building, three floors high.

The doors squealed open in protest as Sasuke waited for her to enter, closing them behind her and tramping up the stairs. She followed obediently, sighing a little as a tiny bit of warmth seeped into her exposed skin.

They entered his room; no, more a _suite_ of rooms, but very humble. The bedroom was the main area and included a cheery fireplace, directly in front of the open door; there was a small kitchenette off to the right, and a bathroom to the left.

Sasuke dropped the heavy satchels and plodded toward the dressers; pulling out a white t-shirt and a pair of khaki jogging pants, he threw them at Sakura, who caught them, her cheeks flushing a blazing pink. He cocked his head slightly at her for a moment, then walked into the bathroom, taking out a towel and drying his mass of wet, spiky hair.

"Go ahead." He gestured minutely toward the bathroom.

"Thanks," Sakura replied quietly, shuffling rapidly to the bathroom and closing the door. She changed quickly, removing everything she'd been wearing and hanging them over the bathtub's edge. She looked at her waterlogged items for a moment, eventually covering her under things with her shirt.

His clothes were soft and blessedly warm, and too big. _Good._

She emerged from his bathroom wringing out her hair and breathing a sigh of relief.

Which was quickly eclipsed by an awkward silence. Sasuke just stood there looking at her, his brows faintly knit.

"Sasuke, are you hungry?"

"I can go get some take out." He started walking to the door. "Wait here, I'll-"

"Wait! Wait, I can just make something. That way no one has to go back out into the rain."

He nodded, following her into the kitchen as she grabbed up one of the satchels full of supplies. As she began putting together the makings for a soup, she glanced over at Sasuke again; he was watching her.

She clenched her jaw. "Is there something wrong, Sasuke?"

"No."

_Slice, slice, slice._

"What do you know of Akatsuki, Sakura?"

_Slice, slice, slice._ To her credit, there was no change in the cadence of her movements as her deft fingers expertly controlled the blade. "I have gathered some information here and there." She paused and looked at him. "But it sounds like you have fresher news."

He leaned against the wall and looked at her impassively. He looked to the ground now, seeming as if he was deciding whether or not to say something. "Where did you learn medical ninjutsu?"

Sakura smiled, pausing for just a moment in her motions. "Tsunade-shishou." _My shishou must despise me so much. _Her brows sank, and the smile faded.

"The Hokage?" Sasuke's voice held just a hint of surprise.

"Hm."

There was a lull in the conversation; Sakura was bursting with questions, and things she wanted to say to him, but she knew better. Besides, the more she spoke the more likely it was that she'd trip up on the wires of lies she'd laid today.

_Oh, kami, my head hurts._

She wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, and finishing the slicing, dumped it all into the pot with the herbs, and set it to boil.

Turning, she felt a strange burning sensation on her finger. She shook it, finally looking down.

"…Sakura?" Sasuke's voice questioned as he watched her shaking her hand.

Her heart galloped to a full panic. She turned, ready to sprint, trying to unobtrusively cover her ring finger and keep it out of sight. "Oh, _shit_… I… I have to go…" _What does this mean? Does he know I'm here… with Sasuke?_

Sasuke's brows knit, and he seized her arm as she tried to sweep past him. "What's going on?"

She halted briefly and looked at him, desperately trying to calm the terror behind her eyes. "It's… one of my patients. I told them to alert me if they took a turn for the worse. I have to go…" She ran to the bathroom, changing back into her wet clothes. It would _not_ be a good idea to show up at the compound in some strangers' clothes.

Exiting the bathroom, she hurriedly took up her satchels and opened the door.

"Sakura." His voice held authority. She stopped but did not turn. "You can't go alone." Sasuke said with finality, pulling on his cloak.

"NO." Now Sakura was just angry; she stared him down. "Sasuke, I've been getting along just fine for a year without your protection. Look, just stay here. Just stay here and follow that lead; I'll be back as soon as I can. If you have to leave, leave word for me here. All right? I'll follow."

He took a step forward, seeming to fight a part of him that still sought retreat. "This is ridiculous, Sakura. I'd just as soon leave you here if I need to go." He meant to wound. His face was hard.

Sakura smiled widely, remembering their sparring match. "I don't believe you," she said sweetly. "I'll be back," and she closed the door and sprang out of the inn and out of the village as quickly as she possibly could.

* * *

By the time she reached the complex, it was very late. With the cloud cover she couldn't tell just _how_ late.

The only thing that had remained dry was the waterproof satchels she'd bought for the supplies. Her entire body shook, her lips were frozen and her hair hung in limp pieces over her forehead and shoulders. She was tired, she was cold, and she was scared.

_How am I ever going to slip anything past him?_

As she approached the doors, she harbored a tiny hope that he might simply consider this a warning and leave her be.

He was not waiting for her there. _Good sign._ She followed the murky corridors to the kitchen, dropping her satchels with a sigh. She waited a few wary moments, shivering. Exhausted and confused, she began unpacking the groceries.

The next moment her back was pushed against the wall, the wind nearly knocked out of her, not as much from the physical force but the sheer shock and surprise. She was hemmed in, hands on either side of her head, warmth radiating off him in waves.

She was shaking violently. Before she could speak, one of his hands rose to her face, his thumb brushing softly over her trembling lips. He stepped in closer to her, and she couldn't help but breathe in the heat of him.

"You disappeared." He spoke, velvety and quiet.

"I… needed to think."

To this he said nothing, but merely watched her eyes, boring into her heavily.

_There is _nothing_ I can hide from this man if he does not wish it hidden._

He stepped back then, slowly, withdrawing his warmth from her. He stood, two feet away, saying nothing.

And then he simply walked away.

Sakura sunk against the wall, hugging her knees. _Now what?_

* * *

A/N: That was a long one. I dunno about you, but I've always dreamed happily about Sakura finally getting to show Sasuke that she doesn't suck. I can't wait for that to happen in the manga… well, OK, _if_ that ever happens :P Hope you dug the fight scene. And before you say "WTF HAXXORS", dude. Srsly. She's been trained by the friggin' Hokage, so yeah, she kicks ass. If any 3 characters in the story have hax, guess what? She's among them.

Anyway, PLEASE show your support for the story, if you dig it at all – PLEASE REVIEW! I'm gettin' dang lonely here.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 10**_

* * *

"Good morning, sunshine!"

It was loud. And irritating. And Sakura was not much of a morning person. She did not, at the moment, wish to be reminded of her current situation. And all it took was consciousness to do that.

"Mmmuuuhhh…" she moaned, not opening her eyes. She sunk under the covers.

"What? I thought I should at least return the favor, yeah," Deidara chirped, the gentle clatter of a tray greeting her ears. "I didn't interrupt a good dream, did I?" It had the telltale sound of the lopsided smirk that was surely plastered across his face.

Sakura considered the question for a moment, blearily. Had she been dreaming? She couldn't remember. The last dream she remembered was a pleasant one, though. _What odd timing for the nightmares to cease. Here I am in the middle of a mine field and my subconscious finally decides to comfort me._

"No. I just… didn't want to wake up." She peeked carefully out from under the covers, a single green eye peering at Deidara's cheerful face. "What's got you all happy?"

He glanced down at her and the smile faded just a bit. "I don't need an excuse, do I?" He sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her. "It's nice to have a normal person here I guess, yeah."

Sakura pulled the covers down from her face, a faint frown etching her features. "I wouldn't be here if I were normal, Deidara. I can't claim to be normal any more."

Deidara turned away, quiet. Then he rose, walking over to the table, looking out the window. He turned to her, a lopsided smile on his lips. "Well, you were probably never _normal_ Sakura, I mean, who wants_that?_" Once again, the smile faded, his head cocking slightly. "But Sakura… whatever brought you here… don't beat yourself up over it for the rest of your life."

Sakura frowned. "I really don't want to talk about this, Deidara."

"Hell no, neither do I. Come on, I brought you some fruit, and one of those roll things you bought yesterday. You really should keep doing the shopping, I always forget crap, yeah," he said, taking a seat at the table.

She raised an eyebrow, blinking. "Uh, Deidara… I'm mostly naked here."

He swiveled in his seat, shocked eyes checking the bed with a brief flash of disappointment. She hadn't removed the comforter. "Oh, shit. Sorry. Uh, here, I'll step out for a minute." The slightest of giggles seemed to escape from him at the end of his sentence.

_Pervert._

Sakura rose and dressed hurriedly, and opened the door to allow Deidara back in, who had evidently been leaning on it. He stumbled into her, then adjusted his shirt and straightened. "Crap, heh, sorry again, yeah."

"Just go eat. Jeeze. Men." She couldn't help but grin, just a little. Sakura went to the bathroom and emerged, hairbrush in hand, pulling long strokes through her hair, detangling as she went. She'd showered last night for a long time, standing in the heat motionless, her mind a torrent of confusion and fear.

The truth was, she had no idea how to deal with this situation. She needed time to put together all the pieces to make sense out of everything, all the little clues.

But at the moment, she had Deidara in her room, who made her heart just a little lighter.

_Wait a minute. Deidara. He must know something about Sasuke…_

Sakura sat down at the table, slowly brushing her hair. She looked up at Deidara, who was staring at her unabashedly.

"Deidara… what were you doing that night, when you were injured? The night we met?"

His eyes cast immediately down to the table, and he reached for an orange, peeling it. His brows knit. "We're not supposed to talk about our missions, Sakura."

She'd suspected that was coming. "Missions for the Akatsuki. How much do _you_ even know about what you're asked to do? Itachi tells me I'll never go on any." She stared out the window, watching tendrils of pallid mist weave and dance. "I don't get it. What good is a medic if I'm not there when someone gets critically injured?"

Deidara sighed, dropping the fruit and wiping his hands on his pants. "I can't answer that, yeah. It seems stupid to me too." He leaned back, his arms supporting his head as he sighed heavily and looked at the ceiling. "Why _are_ you here, anyway? What's in this for you?"

Sakura shook her head ruefully. "He promised me something. Something I want very badly. I just don't know how long I'll be in stasis until he decides to give it to me."

"Ah, so your contact was Itachi too, eh?" He leaned forward. "He was a real asshole yesterday, yeah. He's usually totally… vacant, but yesterday he was pissed. I don't think he liked you leaving."

Sakura made a dismissive snort, grabbing Deidara's orange to finish peeling it. "I was just going to get the supplies."

Deidara's head cocked, weighing her reaction. "Did something happen?"

Sakura's fingers twisted in the fruit, ripping off pieces of its tender flesh and throwing them onto her plate. "No. I… don't know. No, nothing. Nothing."

"Look, Sakura. Be careful with him, okay? He… he's fucked up. I think he knows a hell of a lot more about what's really going on around here than any of us. These errands he has me running lately are completely bizarre, don't seem to have anything to do with anything…"

Sakura's head shot up, looking at Deidara with her mouth hanging open. "…go on."

"Shit. I can't afford any screw ups now, Sakura." He looked vaguely angry. "All I can tell you is you don't fit in here, no matter what kind of fucked up mind games Itachi's played on you."

Sakura's face fell, and she bit her lip. "It doesn't matter. He made an I offer I had to take."

* * *

Sakura's next few days were spent alternating between absently studying medical texts and in trying to put together the pile of random information she'd managed to gather and organize. She sat at her table, her arms folded on it, head resting gently in the crook of her elbow.

She hadn't seen Itachi since the night she'd returned, frightened out of her wits. Deidara mentioned he was angry that she'd left; the question was, why? She hadn't defied any rules that she knew of. Konan had specifically shown her the way to the village, and she hadn't been told that she wasn't allowed to leave the grounds whenever she needed to. She was a "member"… sort of. That brought up another question. How useful is a permanently grounded medic? Itachi had told her she'd be a hindrance on missions. While it was true that a _pure_ medic might be (they'd be the first target), she could hold her own in a fight. It was certainly possible that they just didn't know that.

_Why do I find myself needing to get into fisticuffs with Uchihas to get them to give me any credit?_

The only reason she could imagine that he'd been angry was because of their… encounter. She'd only had time to even stop and think about that while she was running to the village. And at that moment, her nerves and emotions had been taut as a bowstring. She still needed to sort it out; she'd been drinking, she'd been close to serious chakra exhaustion… but somewhere in her mind she knew those were only part of the picture. The other part scared her. The part that felt a magnetic pull to him; like he was somehow kindred, that there were things about his horrific, bloody past that remained unexplained. Just as hers was. Anyone looking at her own story on the surface would jump to simple condemnation. How many had done that to him?

Sakura's eyes twisted shut. There was no denying the physical attraction. It was raw and potent, and she'd never once been touched like that. True… it was possible that it had only happened because of her miscalculated chakra infusions. But just the merest thought of that night… the aching desire that grew in her belly even now, remembering his strong hands on her skin, that electricity surging through her veins, his beautiful eyes looking at her with such need… 

She had never felt that with Sasuke. Of course, when he'd been around, she'd been far too young. But he had left, making it clear he didn't need her. And now she was eighteen, and untouched, save for one.

What would her reaction to Itachi have been if it had been Sasuke first? If Sasuke had reached for her, found her first?

She laughed softly. _But Sasuke didn't find me, because he wasn't looking for me. Sasuke didn't even hug me back. He did his damnedest to get rid of me. _

_Itachi sought me out and asked me to join the ranks of s-class shinobi. And he reached for me…_

She rose, walking to the bed and falling into it softly, removing her boots, her pouches, her clothes. She smiled faintly as she sunk into the sheets, curling up and closing her eyes.

_Sasuke is still in my blood. _The smile faded. _And he still doesn't give a damn about me._

* * *

There was sure to be a visible groove being carved into the short expanse of floor between his window and the fireplace.

Sasuke was restless. _I'm close. I'm close to something here._

Akatsuki. His brother. Clues converging…

She's_ close._

These thoughts invaded all too often. He glanced over at his bed, the t-shirt and pants she'd briefly worn still lying there. His teeth ground as he tore his gaze away, pacing once again.

She seemed to be hiding something. Where had she gathered her intelligence from? How? He sensed it from her, a tension, when he'd asked about Akatsuki; and the way she'd left… something was definitely wrong. _Where did she go? _Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling the thick spikes in back and letting out a hard breath.

He had to find a way to draw it out of her, to make her trust him, to be comfortable. Clearly, point-blank questioning had been ineffective. He knew she had once had feelings for him. He could exploit that.

His mouth twisted as if he'd just tasted something horribly bitter.

_No._

Besides, she had grown into a woman now. Who was to say she still felt that way?

His feet stopped their pacing as his thoughts took an unwelcome turn.

_I had bonds, once. People who were important. And I abandoned them… But of all of them, she has gone the furthest. No matter how far I get away._

She had changed. She had power. 

His steps led him to the bed, and he dropped onto it heavily. His eyes closed, fingers unconsciously reaching for the discarded clothes she'd left behind, his thumb stroking the collar of the shirt. 

He dropped it quickly. He could not afford to be distracted. 

_So, she can make herself useful. A medic is useful to have around. She's _useful. _Particularly if she has information… yes._

Now, all he could do was wait.

* * *

_Laughing, echoing as if down a long corridor, but not distant… the voice was her own. She was running, the sweet scent of spring pollen whispering on the air as her feet, a child's bare toes, connected with the earth and the verdant things growing here. She knelt and gently picked some of the buds near to blossoming, knowing they were like her. Her friend had told her so. She looked up into the clouds, falling back into the grasses, letting the sun kiss her face… it was so warm…_

She was suffused with it, that tender feeling that those dreams brought to her… Sakura's eyelids fluttered open softly, nearly expecting to catch the last drift of clouds she'd been watching materialize.

The room she was in was lit only by the muted light of a full moon, and it was not the clouds she was seeing, but Itachi's withdrawing hand. Her cheek was still warm.

Her breath caught in her throat, but she was still soft with the dream. "Itachi…"

Itachi remained motionless, looking down at her. He was sitting beside her on her bed. His expression was somewhat strange, but it was possible she was merely projecting it. _She_ was feeling strange.

Sakura gathered the covers to her chest and rose, bending at the hips, her legs still laid on the bed. She held onto the comforter with one hand. And with the other, she reached out slowly, curiously, gently, and touched Itachi's face; soft, delicate fingers tracing the lines beneath his exquisite eyes. She followed their contours to his cheeks, until she brushed his lips like a feather.

He simply couldn't be read. She was awakening more now, the miasma of her dream world slowly receding, as she withdrew her hand.

"I'm sorry… I… was dreaming. I don't know why I did that." Her face dropped, a small smile played at her lips as she shook her head once. "Hhn." She looked up at his face again. It finally occurred to her to ask. "What are you doing here, Itachi?"

He said nothing. He simply scanned her face, eyes observing each and every feature.

She might guess what was bothering him. "Itachi, I never… I didn't get to apologize. I had no idea about the chakra infusions; if I had known what they did I never would have administered them. I'm sorry. It was stupid, I'm already looking into the texts to see what I did wrong…"

"You were unaware of the effect they have on people?" He paused. "It is typical of you, Sakura."

Sakura looked at him, her lips parted as she breathed shallowly, her green eyes luminous in the diffuse light. "What does that mean?"

A pause. Itachi moved forward, his body coming closer. He stopped his movements when he was mere inches from her, raising his face to meet hers evenly. He leaned in then, his cheek making contact with hers so softly, breathing into her hair, his hand grazing her shoulder. "I know you well, Sakura." His words drifted into her. "You still trust me." The merest twinge of surprise was present in those last words.

Sakura's body tensed. Her breathing came a little more quickly now. "Itachi, why do you have that picture? The picture in your room?" Sakura looked straight forward now, silently willing herself to remain calm.

Itachi's hand settled on her arm, motionless. "You should not ask."

Sakura swallowed around the fear that began to grow with the change in his voice. It was even, controlled. But she pressed forward. "I've seen that picture before. I've touched it. That's my blood on it." Their faces remained in slight contact. "Who tore you out of it, Itachi?"

His fingers tightened on her arm. "You do still trust me. Such a personal question to ask." His voice had turned cold. He leaned his face into hers now, the contact deepening. But she still could not see his eyes. His voice whispered into her ear, unyielding. "Tell me, Sakura, should I trust you?"

She could not stop her body from trembling now.

The hold on her arm was released gently, his skin and warmth withdrawing, and he rose, not looking at her at all before striding to the door. "There is no reason for you to remain here at all times. You are free to do what you will, unless we have need of you. If we do, you will be summoned."

She forced her face into a serious look. "How long, Itachi? How long do I remain in the service of Akatsuki before I'm given what I came here for?"

He glanced at her sidelong from over his shoulder. "As long as it takes."

"That's not an answer. You never answer me."

He smirked. His face turned now to the door; he opened it, and left her alone and cold.

* * *

A/N: Shorter and transitional, my apologies. I really struggled with this one though; as I'm sure all you writers out there know, this story keeps evolving on me, so I keep having to tweak the outline. The good news is I get happier with it with every revision.

And damn if writing the ItaSaku parts ain't easier that the SasuSaku. I thought it'd be the other way around .

Oh, and I obviously don't have a beta… sorry for mistakes :( Would love to get one though, we'll see about it.

Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 11**_

* * *

Sakura had packed her bag.

_If I don't have to remain here, I won't. At least, not all the time…_

She had slept very little the previous night. There had been no more dreams. The ghostly echoes of Itachi's touch remained on her skin, a tenderness there that she would never have anticipated.

Itachi. Forever estranged from closeness by his own hand. It had been his own choice that brought him to that pass; but now, it seemed, he reached out for it, in the oddest ways. Something occurred to her then.

_Has he come to me while I slept before?_

She had always had difficulty sensing his presence; he could be an absolute shadow if he wished it. In that case, the next question was even stranger.

_Did he want to be found?_

It was impossible for her to sort out her feelings for the man, not right now. There were far, far too many questions, and now here too was Sasuke, alive and close. She wanted to believe Itachi was human, that there had been more to his past than mere slaughter, that there had been a _reason._ That was her own selfish assertion; selfish because she needed to believe there was a _reason_ anyone took actions that seemed rash on the surface. And now, after last night, she wanted very much to hope that somehow, no matter how far into his own mind he had retreated, somehow he would heal.

_Because if he can't, I am looking at myself five years from now._

But then, she thought of Sasuke… his struggle to put together the shattered pieces of his psyche after having it all taken away. It occurred to her now to consider who in Konoha was visiting the memorial. Who would mourn Naruto, now that she had blotted that brightness? Who might even now be searching for his killer in hopes of revenge?

Could she blame them? Would they have the same compassion she held for Itachi?

She didn't know. She could not compass it. All that was left was to grasp at redemption.

* * *

Sakura arrived at the gates of the village soaking wet. The sky wept unceasingly, making her, for once, wish very much that she was wearing that wonderfully warm and waterproof robe she'd been given.

_If only they could've left it flat black. Why make it so easy to identify?_

She stepped through the gates and honed her senses with a dose of chakra, closing her eyes.

_There._

Sasuke's signature was not masked at all. After all, he wanted to be found.

Though not necessarily by her.

She padded through the streets at a brisk pace, noting that Sasuke was on the move now, too. Her brows knit; surely he had sensed her presence too? But he was moving away from her… she sped up her pace, shots of chakra pulsing to her heels, closing in on her mark. He wasn't speeding up.

She jumped agilely over a final roof and descended, a puddle splashing gently beneath her.

Sasuke stood in the middle of the street.

"Sasuke… what's going on?"

"You're needed here." He turned, walking briskly toward the residential part of the town. This area was run-down at best, completely dilapidated at worst; she wondered how Sasuke had ever familiarized himself with this place.

"What do you mean? Where are we going, Sasuke?" She followed him closely, keeping up pace as he too began infusing his steps.

"I'd been near the clinic… what they call a clinic here, anyway… and I heard a boy shouting. His mother was injured, nearly killed. I suspect it was his father, but I don't know. They can't afford the 'services' of the clinic, apparently. He was just looking for help." His mouth turned in a scowl.

"Kami… good, you know where they are? The boy told you?"

He nodded. "It's been a couple hours since he first called for help. I was looking for clues as to where you might be." He glanced at her as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop. "No one seemed to recognize you." He smirked. "Odd, if you've been in the area for a while. You're pretty hard to miss."

Alas, Sakura did stick out like a sore thumb. Rather unfortunate hair for a kunoichi, really.

All she could do right now was bless whatever higher power had kept him from asking about her in the market.

She blinked. She shook her head.

_Wait a minute. Did Sasuke just call me "hard to miss"?_

There was no time to pleasantly ponder that thought, though. Sasuke alighted on the pads of his feet, striding now toward what could only be described as a shack in the middle of others like it, a hobbled together mess of dirty planks and tar shingle siding.

He knocked on the side of it, beside what was presumably a door.

A little boy shoved aside a thick blanket, his disheveled hair poking through the gap, and a pair of large brown eyes, red and puffy with weeping.

"OH! Please, did you find someone who can help mama?" He sniffed, his lower lip trembling, stubby fingers gripping the fabric. He ignored the steady rain and stared.

Sasuke knelt in front of the boy, heedless of the wet and the mud, gently placing a strong hand on his shoulder. "Aa, let's get her in there to take a look."

The boy's eyes seemed to take the cue from Sasuke's calm manner. He nodded seriously and stepped aside, wiping his nose with his shirt sleeve, then looking up at Sakura. "She's in here, please."

"Thank you," Sakura said, as her heart nearly wept. The boy was being so brave. "How is she doing right now?"

The boy bit his lip briefly, holding back tears. He lifted his chin. "Well, she was awake at first, but now she's not."

_This is bad._

They stepped in to find one large room, dark and leaking in spots. A single lantern was lit on the furthest side of it on a table beside a futon. Sakura made out the form of a woman, unmoving, upon it. She ran to her side, kneeling.

The shock of the scene took her aback for a moment. But only a moment. 

The doctor was in.

"Sasuke, get that wood stove going, now. She's nearly hypothermic."

Sasuke nodded imperceptibly and set to, as Sakura returned her gaze to her patient.

The woman was covered in blood, mostly on her chest and abdomen. Sakura rushed chakra to her fingertips and sliced the woman's dress open down the center.

There were what appeared to be stab wounds to her chest and belly, none particularly deep, but many of them. Enough that she was experiencing significant blood loss, probably shock at this point, and because of the blood loss, hypothermia. And besides that…

"Oh, _kami_."

The woman was pregnant.

Sakura closed her eyes, her hands settling in over the woman's supine form, ready to work.

* * *

Sasuke watched Sakura as she began the treatment. Her eyes were shut, her concentration on her task absolute, despite the fact that she was soaked to the bone and no doubt tired from traveling.

The wounds the woman had sustained looked ugly; although Sasuke had no idea how difficult the task might be, he had to imagine that there was a high probability of infection, and that somehow Sakura had to deal with the blood loss… he tried to give the woman her dignity and not look at her too closely, but he couldn't help but notice the gentle swell of her abdomen. She couldn't be too far along yet. He could only hope that would make Sakura's work easier… but he didn't know.

As he watched, already the woman began gaining some color back. Somehow Sakura had stimulated blood production, he supposed. The wounds had stopped weeping.

He glanced at the boy, who stood behind Sasuke, not watching the proceedings. He coughed, and shook, and stared at the floor.

Sasuke went to him, kneeling to look him in the eye. "What's your name?"

The boy sniffed and looked at him. "Yuichi."

Sasuke nodded. "Well, Yuichi." He glanced around, taking in the leaks in the roof. "I think your mother would like to wake to a fixed roof, don't you think?"

Yuichi turned, watching Sakura's back, a tight smile slowly creeping over his smudged face. In a single sentence, Sasuke had awakened a faint hope, and given the boy something to focus on, something he could make better. He turned to Sasuke, nodding.

Sasuke smiled lightly. "Good. Let's get to work."

* * *

She was finished. For the moment, anyway. As much as could be done now, she had done. It had taken many hours; she'd had to work so carefully to ensure the baby was still receiving all the blood and nourishment it needed while dealing with the woman's own body. She'd never had to do that before, and it was draining work.

The wounds were closed and clean; her blood production had been accelerated for long enough to bring the levels up to the correct proportion. And her body was warming rapidly. The baby seemed out of harm's way.

For now.

_Whatever bastard did this to her might come back._

It was usually a spouse or lover in these cases. Sakura shook her head, sighing wearily. She pulled a button down sweater from her bag and gently brought the woman's shoulders up, placing it on her and pulling a blanket up over her body. The room was warmed now, thanks to the fire in the wood stove. And, there didn't seem to be any dripping noises anymore…

"Sakura." A deep voice hailed her gently.

Sakura's head was very light.

_Hunh…_ she thought blearily. _Perhaps I've overdone it…_

"Sasuke… I'm sorry. I used a lot of chakra." She leaned forward, head resting on the edge of the bed, trying to breathe deeply and evenly.

Strong, warm hands were at her waist then, gently coaxing her body back, arms slipping under her bare thighs. She was cradled in Sasuke's arms. Her head rested on his chest as her eyes closed, a comfort and closeness in her heart.

* * *

Sakura's eyes snapped open. She was in a bed. It wasn't her bed in the complex… the scent of the sheets was decidedly masculine, pleasant and musky.

_Sasuke._

She rolled slightly to find him sitting in front of the fireplace, sharpening kunai. The gentle light from the window was emitted from a nearly street lamp. It was night.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, turning his face to her slightly before returning to the weapons in his lap. He was wearing plain black pants and a black t-shirt, the contours of his well-toned body clear.

Sakura nodded, looking away with a minute flush on her cheeks, rising and swinging her legs out from under the covers. Her feet were bare of course, but she was still wearing her clothes from before, still just a little damp and dirty. "Yes, hungry. But, ah… I would love to take a shower and change. If that's all right."

Sasuke nodded, his chin jutting shortly toward the bathroom.

She rose, scooping up her bag and headed toward it. "It's night." She rubbed her eyes. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"You slept through the night you came, and all of today." He smirked.

"Oh, _damn._ Sorry, Sasuke." Her eyes lifted to him, worry clouding them now. "What about the woman? Whoever did that to her…"

"Will probably be back, yes. Don't worry. I've seen to it that her… 'house'… can't be entered or exited by the wrong people." He paused, as if deciding how much to tell her. "And I've taken care of things."

Sakura's brows descended. "Well. I suppose I don't need to read into _that_ too deeply." Sasuke roaming the countryside playing hero seemed a little out of character. She wondered how often he'd done things like this…

"Do you do this a lot? Save damsels in distress?" She asked with a minute smirk, an ironic tinge on her voice.

He scowled. "No."

"Why this time, then?"

He looked up at her, face clear of mockery. "I didn't save her. You did."

Sakura watched him then. She traced his face, his dark hair framing it, his eyes piercing and powerful, pale skin warmed by the gentle glow of the fire.

She turned then, closing the door behind her, a smile playing on her features.

* * *

She stripped off the damp mass of clothing and stepped into the already steaming shower, sighing in relief as the water washed away the sweat and dirt.

He reminded her now of Konoha. Of those times when they were Team 7, youthful and growing and working hard through their early missions. She never would have imagined herself in the situation she was in now. The situation_either_ of them were in.

_It shouldn't have been this way. We should be vying for spots in ANBU, training together, the three of us…_

She tried to trace the root of it; before, it would have fallen squarely on Itachi. But now, she wondered if it was earlier than his actions. What had truly spurred his attack? Or, what if they were here now because of decisions made far later… Sasuke didn't need to leave. He didn't_have_ to go to get more powerful. He could have stayed.

Her thoughts meandered for a while before it occurred to her that she had to keep her mind sharp. No doubt Sasuke would have questions, and places he'd want to go, things he might want her to do in the name of his goal. She'd have to play along, but for how long? How long could she possibly keep up this dual life?

The shower sputtered to a stop, and she stepped out, drying her body and brushing her hair. She pulled on her clothes; a sleeveless red shirt, simple, fitted black shorts and her skirt. Taking a deep breath, she emerged from the bathroom, mentally steadying herself.

He wasn't by the fire anymore. She padded toward the kitchen, the smell of tea greeting her as she watching him pouring two steaming mugs. He stepped forward, handing one to her.

She accepted it. "Thank you." Looking around, she saw no food being made. _Men._ Smiling slightly, she took it upon herself to check the cupboards for something edible.

Several cans of soup, it appeared, were all that was on the menu.

"How is your patient? The farmer?" He inquired, taking a seat at the small table.

Sakura continued with opening the cans and pouring them into a saucepan. _I can use this._ "He's fine for the moment. I will have to check on him regularly though, for as long as we're in the area." She glanced at him over her shoulder briefly. "The services of a medic are much needed here."

"So it would seem." A pause. "I've been hearing from a few more people, Sakura."

Sakura's breathing stopped.

"And?"

"It seems that the blonde Akatsuki isn't the only one who's been seen here. Another one, apparently wearing an orange mask, has also come through this way."

Sakura's face twitched. "I've never seen or heard of anyone wearing a mask." She pulled two bowls from the cupboard, pouring the steaming chicken soup into them, handing him a bowl and taking a seat.

"We must be close here. Close to something important to them."

Sakura ate quietly.

Sasuke followed suit. It was quiet for a time.

They finished their meal and looked at each other. Sakura couldn't think of what to say. _Oh, why yes, their base is just over yonder. I don't know why it slipped my mind to tell you before._

Sakura rose, taking their bowls to the sink. "Well, all the better that we're here, then. I should do a check on my herb supplies." With that, she retired to the living room again, hoisting up her bag and setting it down beside the fire, rifling through it. Sasuke joined her, sitting on the floor near her and looking into the flames.

"What do you make of it, Sakura? Perhaps a base is close by." His voice was low and even. Deadpan.

Sakura opened several packets of herbs, ostensibly counting them. She knew precisely how many of each she had with her. "It seems possible. But if it's a base, there's likely to be several of them there at any given time, right? Hardly wise to go storming off for it."

Sasuke nodded. "My thought as well." His jaw hardened. "But I'm ready. And there's no sense waiting any longer."

Sakura looked up at him, alarmed. _What could possibly make him think he was "ready"? Oh._

"The seal. Is it bothering you?" She asked cautiously.

He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "No. It's a tool, not a hindrance."

"Sasuke… I remember what that did to you. Don't you remember?" Sakura's voice held an edge of pleading.

"That was a long time ago. I've got it under control."

Sakura dropped the herbs and leaned in closer. He was only a foot away… her memories rushed back to her; the Forest of Death, his maniacal laughter as he broke the Sound nin's arms… the glint of madness as he rushed Naruto before she…

"No, Sasuke. There's no controlling that. I've seen what it does to you… it's not a_tool_ you can bend to your will, how can you think that?"

Sasuke's hand slammed into the floor as he stared her down, fierce eyes mercilessly boring into her. "I _can_ do it, I _have_ done it. I will not have this discussion again." He leaned in to her now too, close enough that she could feel his breath when he spoke. "It's powerful, Sakura. I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that when you're going up against the Akatsuki, you need to have a trump card. There's no way around it."

Her jaw tightened now as well, the fire glinting in her eyes. "You have a trump card, Sasuke, if you'd only remember how to _use _it. _Your will_ is stronger than any false power Orochimaru burdened you with! How can you possibly think to contain the seal? It was eating you alive then, it can only be getting worse now!"

His eyes cast down now at the floor, but his face did not relax. He seemed to be battling his thoughts now, the hand on the carpet curling into a fist. His voice was low and dangerous. "I have no choice. I have to use it. I need it. When you agreed to this, you _knew_ what you were getting into. I _must_ reach this goal, _at any cost._"

Sakura's eyes widened, her mouth open, breathing heavily. She looked into his eyes, desperation in her own. "Sasuke… have you thought about what you want to do? Really thought about it?" He seemed about to withdraw from her, but she reached out quickly and took his hand. "No, please. Just hear me out, and if you don't want to face it after, fine. But hear me out, just once."

His hand remained tense in hers, but he did not withdraw. She looked at his fingers, brushing them with her own. She looked up again. "He's… what he did… it is unforgivable. Right?" She swallowed the lump in her throat, tears threatening. "Sasuke… I… have you forgiven_me_?"

He looked at her then, confusion passing over his face. "Forgiven you? Sakura, you're not-"

"I _am_, Sasuke, I have committed the same crime! Why should I escape your revenge? Naruto was your friend too, wasn't he? I… I only did it to save_you_, Sasuke, but it's still… it's still murd-"

Sasuke took her by the shoulders, hard, shaking her until she stopped speaking. "Sakura, what the hell are you talking about? _Naruto isn't dead!_"

Her body stilled. Her vision drew up his face and looked into his eyes. Her heart was pounding like a drum. She could not think. She could not speak.

"What… Sasuke…?"

He held her arms tightly, his eyes locked onto hers. "I took him back to the village, after you blacked out. I took him home." His lips seemed to catch on that last word for a moment. "He's a stubborn idiot, he held on, and I'm sure the Hokage took care of it from there. He's not dead, Sakura."

She simply sat there, trembling, silent tears falling from her face in a torrent, her eyes looking back and forth at Sasuke's. She let out the breath she'd been holding with a wisp of sound.

Sasuke swallowed, his teeth grinding for just a moment before his hand rose to her face, wiping away the tears. She collapsed then, her emotions too much to bear, and he gathered her to him, holding her tightly as she began to wash away the many months of guilt.

* * *

A/N: OK, feeling better about my groove here now. Things will _really_ be heating up now. Hope you enjoyed, please review :)


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 12**_

* * *

It took some time before Sakura's shaking began to subside. Sasuke held her gently, her breath on his neck slowing. His arms were around her shoulders, and her fingers were twisted in his shirt. Sakura expected him to sense her calming and disengage from her. Strangely, he didn't. She tried to take some deep, experimental breaths, her chest shaking slightly on the inhale.

Naruto was _alive._

And it was Sasuke that had brought him back home.

Sasuke shifted then, his arms withdrawing somewhat until his hand rested, seemingly hesitantly, on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Sakura steeled herself, her hands releasing his shirt and wiping at her face. She straightened, her body backing out from his arms. _He must be uncomfortable_.

"Yes. Sorry." She looked into the fire, sniffing a little. "It just… came as a shock. All this time, I've thought that I…" She paused. "But I guess it probably doesn't help much. He _would_ have died if you hadn't brought him back."

Sasuke looked into the fire now too, his arms resting on his knees.

She smiled faintly. "But you did bring him back."

He said nothing, his stare fixed on the dancing flames.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in thought. The only sound penetrating the stillness was the crackle of the fireplace.

Sasuke spoke first. His tone held an edge of finality. "You thought he was dead. But now that you know otherwise, it's time to stop playing missing-nin and go back to where you belong."

Sakura huffed softly. "Still trying to get rid of me. No, Sasuke, I won't go back. Not yet."

Something occurred to her then. If Naruto was still alive… Sakura considered her next words carefully. "I've been operating under the assumption that the Akatsuki's goal had altered, that if Naruto was out of the picture they couldn't be hunting the jinchuuriki any longer. I was mistaken." Her eyes narrowed.

Sasuke looked at her then. "And my _brother_ is the member whose task it is to bring Naruto in. That night, when the three of us met. Itachi was in the area. That's why I was there."

Sakura looked at him sharply. She hadn't known. Her mind started working, grasping at the new information. _That night… I had left the Uchiha compound that night… and Itachi has that picture now, with my blood on it… he must've been there. He's been letting me believe, all this time, that Naruto was dead… _She started picking up the puzzle pieces, trying to find the connections. 

Sasuke was evidently doing the same. His mouth twisted in distaste. "My brother may be many things, but he's not stupid enough to just walk into Konoha to try to get Naruto."

Sakura sighed. "That may be, but Tsunade-sama has cut back quite a bit on defenses. She hasn't had a choice, really."

It was so frustrating not being able to tell him what she knew. She could use some help untangling the web; she couldn't fathom what Itachi had been doing in Konoha if it wasn't to just try to grab Naruto himself. But it hadn't played out that way. She'd left of her own free will, and Naruto had simply happened to catch on to her.

There was no way Itachi could have known that she'd leave that night, nor that Naruto would follow her… was there?

She started twirling a lock of her pink hair between two fingers, a nervous habit. "He may have been planning to just wait for Naruto to leave. Then when I left, and Naruto followed… maybe he just waited nearby to see how things would play out. If Itachi doesn't want to be found or tracked, he won't be."

Sasuke started slightly, his eyes sliding slowly toward Sakura's form as his face remained forward. He saw her bite her lip, hard. "Sakura."

She kept her eyes fixed on the fire. "Mm?"

_She's hiding something from me. _Sasuke checked himself briefly. The shaking fist on the far side of her slowly unclenched. Neither anger nor directness had worked before. He had to find some other way to draw her out.

He let out a huff of air, running his fingers through his hair and leaning back on the palms of his hands. His eyes closed briefly. _I hate this._

"How is Naruto, anyway? I mean… before you left."

Sakura looked at him. It was a rather sudden turn in the conversation, though not unwelcome. She smiled slightly. "A goof. Hopelessly addicted to ramen. He's gotten so much stronger though… he really amazes me. He works so hard. I think he's finally figured out why Hinata faints every time she sees him." She laughed lightly at Sasuke's bemused expression. She paused now, hoping she could go a little deeper. "He misses you badly, Sasuke. He blames himself."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't just let loose his usual retort. _I really, really hate this._

Sakura watched him bite back his words and wondered why he'd brought it up. It wasn't like him to open these doors. But she jumped at the chance nevertheless. "Kakashi-sensei misses you too. I suppose you know already that I've missed you." His reactions to her words, or lack thereof, was starting to get to her. "Sasuke, why do you ask?"

He frowned, and shifted again. "I suspect they miss _you_ now. Do you think they blame themselves that you're gone?"

"I don't know." She looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Is it worth it, Sakura?" His eyes latched onto hers, and for a brief moment a shadow passed over them. Was he blaming himself? "Why are you really here? I mean, in the Rain Country? How did you end up here?"

She was taken aback by the barrage of questions. What was he getting at? "For a long time, I just ran. I just ran and tried to forget everything." Her expression had become stony. "I refused to think about what I'd done to people I cared about. I refused to think about _home._ Because I had no choice. I had brought it all on myself."

Sasuke turned to her now. He was getting angry. _This cannot be Sakura._ "What do you think I've been doing? You could have been describing _me_ just now. If you hadn't come along, Sakura, I'd still be…" He shook his head. _Shit, this is backfiring…_

The admission, however tentative and incomplete it might be, made Sakura take in a quick breath. Her presence shook him out of his usual emotional lethargy, whether he liked it or not. She smiled faintly. _He _doesn't_ like it. And I know what he's trying to do now._

Sakura reached out, carefully, and took his hand. He resisted for a moment, but looked at her nevertheless. A tiny sheen of sweat formed on her back. "Sasuke… there are things I can help you with. I _do_ have some information. But I need you to trust me Trust that I know what I'm doing… Do you trust me, Sasuke?" The question was desperate.

"You cannot withhold information from me, Sakura."

"_Do you trust me?"_

He looked into her soft green eyes, the faint flush gracing her porcelain skin. _This is ridiculous. I know she's hiding something from me, but how could my Sakura possibly have some hidden agenda?_ His mind tripped briefly on the turn of phrase in his thoughts, and he said hesitantly, "Yes."

Sakura took in a deep breath. _That will have to do._ "The Akatsuki you followed here… did he say anything to you?"

"No. All I recall is some grunts of pain," he said with a smirk.

Sakura tried to ignore that. Like it or not, those people were human to her now, not just faceless enemies she had the right to judge. "How did you find him, initially?"

"I followed a pretty faint trail, the first lead I'd had in months. Came out of nowhere."

"I don't think it was by chance."

Sasuke rounded on her, the gears turning. "Why do you say that?"

_Cat and mouse…_ "I think you were led here. They wanted you here for some reason." She rubbed at her face, frustrated. "I just don't know why. If they're still hunting the jinchuuriki, what do _you_ have to do with that?"

Sasuke scowled, the muscles in his jaw surging. He shot up to his feet then and started pacing, slowly, like a predatory cat about to strike.

Sakura watched him, a sense of foreboding slithering up her spine. "Sasuke… what's wrong?" She kept her voice low.

He abruptly stopped his pacing and looked at her. "Enough. There's a reason I left alone, and a reason I need to do this alone. You need to leave, Sakura. Now." His voice practically growled in command.

Sakura rose to her feet, walking to him tentatively. "You're absurdly stubborn, Sasuke. Whether you like it or not, you _do _need help with this. You're not invincible. I can help-"

Sasuke closed the gap between them, grabbing her arms, his eyes fierce. "_Kami_, Sakura, you _just don't get it!_ I told you to _get out of here, I don't need you!_"

She shook her head violently, confused and shaken. His fingers were bruising her. "Sasuke, I don't understand! What _reason_ is there for you to do this alone? This doesn't make any sense!" Before he could say anything, she pitched forward and grabbed him, holding him against her desperately. "Don't be an idiot, Sasuke."

She could feel his heart pounding wildly. He returned her embrace then, ungently, his breath coming in hard pants, his body stiff. He buried his face in her hair, his eyes twisted shut, grabbing her shirt in his fist. His voice, when he spoke, was ragged. "There are things about me you'll never want to know. Things I'll never want you to know. What more do I need to do to break these bonds?"

His lips hovered over her ear, and a shiver ran down her body.

His body shook, holding her so tightly. His voice was tight, as if the words were being wrenched from unwilling vocal chords. But the words…

"_I. Don't. Need. You."_ She felt his lips brush ever so lightly over her cheek.

Sakura was pushed abruptly against the wall, her back hitting hard and her breath knocked out of her. She fell to her knees, coughing, trying desperately to inhale.

Sasuke was gone.

* * *

_Do NOT fall apart now, Sakura. Keep it together._

Sakura clutched her chest, her knees scraping on the cold wooden floor, wheezing for a few moments before she was finally able to bite back the tears and breathe.

_You WILL not cry. Not now. Keep yourself together, mouse._

Following Sasuke was useless. He was far faster than her. It was true; he hadn't gone all out during their fight and she knew it.

She gathered herself and rose, heading to the fireplace to get her bag together.

_He lost it when I told him he'd been led here. When I couldn't figure out why Akatsuki would care…_ _why would Akatsuki want him here?_

She shoved the herbs away forcefully, frustrated and angry and hurt and confused. It was as if a dam had broken, and all the emotions she'd locked away for a year came rushing back.

_Was I sharper without these emotions? Was I a better kunoichi? Maybe…_

Sasuke pushed her away, over and over and over again, in the most painful ways; most likely thinking somehow he was saving her from something. And Itachi was playing mind games, there was no doubt; he had let her believe that Naruto was dead, that they weren't hunting her friend any longer.

Right then, right at that moment, Sakura had had enough of the Uchihas.

Her face grew hard then.

_I do not _need_ to be protected. _

_And two can play games._

* * *

Sakura returned to the complex to find it quiet; it was late in the evening, and there had been no rain.

She dropped her bag inside and made her way to Itachi's room, padding on silent feet. Once she reached the door, she realized, belatedly, that fear was a perfectly logical response to what she was about to do.

A faint light etched the stones at her feet from under his door. She turned the knob.

Itachi sat at the table by the window, a blue crescent moon lighting his features. After a moment, he turned to her but remained silent.

She entered, closing the door behind her, her eyes never leaving his form. Her feet drew her closer now, tentatively, until she stood three feet away.

He rose from his chair now, entirely expressionless, and she was forced to raise her head to meet his eyes.

_Such beautiful eyes._

She stepped in closer now, close enough to easily touch; her hand rose slowly, pausing before his face for a moment, until she reached out, her delicate fingers gently tracing down his soft hair, twining in it. She watched her hand fall now to his chest, where it rested, hovering over his heart, pressing into it carefully, feeling its beating tempo increase.

She looked into his eyes again now. Her face took on a shadow of pain, her voice mild. "Itachi. Why am I here?"

His face remained impassive, but it was too late; his heart beat had already given him away. He had let her steal the clue. "Do not ask questions to which you already know the answer."

Her eyes never wavered from his, and her expression remained the same. "Why do you have that picture?" He did not respond. "Why were you in Konoha?"

"How well do you know my brother, Sakura? How well do you truly know him?" His mild tone matched her own.

Once again, evasion. But she hoped he might match honesty for honesty, just once. "There are many things he won't tell me. He tries so hard to guard himself. But I know him. I know his heart…" she glanced meaningfully at the hand that rested over his own.

His heart beat began to slow. "You hold on to an ideal of him. You are too trusting."

"And you're not trusting enough." She stepped forward, her hand remaining in place, her body now close enough to feel his warmth. His heart beat accelerated. "Why did you bring him here?"

His eyes narrowed now. He said nothing.

Her voice finally began to tremble. "Answer me."

Their bodies were so close. "What makes him different from you or me?" he asked.

The shaking in her voice increased. She was letting her emotions seep in, too quickly. "He _is_ different. You killed his entire family in cold blood, and I… I was just trying to save Sasuke…"

His voice was cold. "Is your friend any less dead for your intentions?"

She simply couldn't contain it any longer. "Itachi, _he's not dead!_" She stepped fully into him now, clutching his shirt, tears glistening in her wide green eyes. "How could you let me come here, let me believe that he was dead, all this time?"

He took her face in his hands now, keeping his eyes locked to hers. "No, Sakura. He _is_ dead to you now, he will _never_ look at you the same way again." 

She couldn't gauge his reaction, she couldn't feel his heartbeat. _Is he speaking from experience? _Her eyes widened in realization. _Sasuke… his little brother will never… it must've been Sasuke that ripped him from the picture…_

Sakura watched him, his eyes were so beautiful and cold and told her nothing. "You tore his heart out from him, and he thinks he's doing what he must to mend it. I can't tell him to kill you, I can't agree with that, I don't want to see him go through what I did." She toughened her voice as much as she could. "People need closeness, Itachi." Her voice softened again. "Or they might become like you."

He watched her for a moment before his gaze drifted down to her warm lips, his thumb brushing over them gently, but somehow his expression did not change. _He wants warmth, but all he will do is take it. This is a parody of affection._

Her body trembled with the gentle touch regardless. She cursed her weakness. She exhaled tremulously, her lips parting. _I have to get back in control, this simply isn't working as I'd planned…_

Her words were rushed. "What were you doing in Konoha…" She shook herself. His touch on her face felt so familiar, it jarred something loose in her subconscious, a blinding _knowing _striking her, her mind letting loose a stream of vague memories and feelings, all apart meaning nothing, but together…

_All the dreams, all the times I woke feeling as if I'd been held, my cheek warmed from the contact… the night in the forest when I threw that kunai, that sick feeling that I knew exactly what was going to happen… and then, waking, twice, to find Itachi over me when I'd been dreaming…_

_Is it possible? Is that even possible?_

Sakura's stomach wrenched painfully, as if a blow had been struck. Confusion and fear took over her body, her face. "I… How could I think…" She started trying to step back, stumbling slightly. He released his touch, but he matched her step for step. "I thought that you were really reaching out, that you just needed someone, that all you needed was someone to get _close_ to you, that you _wanted_ that…Itachi… _what have you done?_"

She kept backing away from him, only to find herself hitting the wall, and he followed, pressing his body against hers and grasping her wrists as she shook violently.

She looked up at him, eyes searching his, seeking anything at all to prove her wrong.

His eyes flickered for a split second.

She spat her words at him now, trying to get _something_ from him. Anything was better than this. "You are the absolute opposite to your brother, Itachi. You are _nothing_ but a cold, selfish man who twists and uses people to your own ends. The only thing in this world that means anything to you is power. I thought there was more to you, I thought you were still _human, but I was wrong."_

The resounding _crack_ of his hand hitting the wooden wall beside her ear echoed. Their faces were so close his breath fanned out over her cheeks. The irises of his eyes bled, coalescing until the tomoe of the sharingan materialized, spinning rapidly. She stared.

His voice was tense. He was angry. "I know you, Sakura. I know every last corner of your mind." A guttural growl punctuated his words. "_Do not presume for an instant that you know me."_

Her body finally stopped shaking as she watched his eyes form strange pinwheels, then the world was awash in red and she sunk into it screaming.

* * *

A/N: I've been both looking forward to and dreading writing that chapter since I started the story. Please let me know what you think.


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 13**_

* * *

_What is that awful sound? It won't stop… it's so loud._

_Oh. That's me._

Sakura hung in the air, watching a copy of herself from a high and disjointed angle.

She watched the copy as it stood in the middle of a shallow pool of red liquid, screaming over and over and over, taking short breaths between each rasping screech. Her twin covered its ears, the shrillness almost certainly deafening it, too.

_I'm logic. She's emotion._

The sky was the same scarlet wash as the ambiguous pool; but it was perhaps not a sky in the usual sense. Other figures began to materialize around the pool, a shadowed and surreal mimicry of trees in autumn, all in black and swaying sullenly. A river now engulfed the waters her other self stood in, the water lapping at shaking knees. The girl stopped screaming, her tears unheeded as she watched the world develop, her mouth open and gulping air desperately.

Sakura was suddenly wrenched forward chest first, hurtling toward her doppelganger, too fast. She tried to fight it, her will raging and struggling against the force of it, slowing her momentum.

_No. If I cannot stay detached from my emotions, this place will take me._

"_Sakura…"_ a disembodied voice echoed.

Her twin's head shot up in recognition, yelling the name that owned the voice as if it were a talisman to fend off the darkness. _"Sasuke!"_

Her logical self merged with her primitive self with an almost audible _snap_, and Sakura finally felt the paralyzing fear she had been merely watching before. And there was no sign of Sasuke anywhere.

_Oh, kami… I'm so weak…_

Her shaking hands swept the tears away as she shivered in the swift current of the river. It was strange, her mind's separation and abrupt rejoining. She seemed to have no control now, over her thoughts or her body. Oddly, she began to wonder who she was. Hands lifted, trembling before her eyes. Her vision tilted as if she were cocking her head, wondering whose hands they were.

In the turbid red waters near the river's edge, something seemed to be rising, a solid thing shadowed beneath the churning foam.

It appeared now, breaking the surface. Glassy, dead eyes stared into the sky, the corpse's mouth wide open, black hair waving gently with the current. The Uchiha fan was emblazoned on his shirt. _Shisui._

The body bumped against her knees and caught there. She simply stared at it, confused.

_Should I be frightened? I feel like my heart should be breaking. Why do I not cry out for help? Why do I not scream? How did he die? Did I do that? I never thought I would really do that to him._

Her body still shook, but now it was different. Not sadness; nor fear, as might seem appropriate when staring at the cold, lifeless eyes of a corpse.

_What is this?_

Triumphant and almost sentient, her blood sang and surged, her entire being suffused with an unbelievable _power_, her mind sharpening and her body taut.

She looked at those hands again, and couldn't help but grin.

She was more drunk on it than could ever be described. Never once had she felt so _alive._ There was _nothing _on this horizon she could not see with absolute clarity. Nothing she could not alter irrevocably, should she wish it.

But no sooner did the euphoria begin, it had begun to be replaced by a pang of fear. The loss of control she'd felt earlier became acute now, yet the drug-like effects of her altered blood still coursed through her. A battle for ownership of her body had begun.

She stumbled backward out of the river, the body washing downstream as she fell onto the bank, her eyes darting and pausing, darting and pausing, focusing on nothing.

_I can't… I can't make it stop… how do I make this stop?_

Fingernails clawed the ground and her jaw set, teeth grinding as she tried to focus her mind, to rediscover those pathways and memories in her mind that she owned, to keep them from being systematically stolen away. But they were flying from her so fast.

Some of the sensation, the raw power singing through her veins, was familiar though, she began to realize. She had always had that; just not this _much._

And before she had enough of her own mind left to ponder whether or not the murder had been intended, she succumbed to the cresting surge of energy, her eyes rolling painfully back into her head and flicking forward again, her eyelids squeezed shut.

Chakra was flowing like a pulse into her eyes, and her equilibrium was sorely shaken as the sensation of spinning began to take her.

When her eyes opened, the spinning had stopped, but she suddenly felt as though the person looking out of these eyes was not necessarily human.

Someone stood before her now.

He was tall, with long pale hair in spikes falling down his back, and a strange scarred cross over his nose and under his eyes. Amber eyes, dun colored skin, and a huge set of wings that resembled the hands of a demon, vicious claws flexing at their tips.

It _was_ a demon. It was Sasuke.

He stepped toward her onto the bank, stooping on one knee and leaning into her, his lips curling back to reveal sharp canines. A clawed hand reached out and cupped her cheek, a negligent swipe of his thumb drawing blood on her cheek beneath her powerful eyes. His expression was one of admiration and his eyes burned with a desire for _possession_.

He spoke. _"How do you feel, Sakura?"_

_No. No. Something is wrong. This isn't right. He's… he doesn't fit. _I_don't fit! Get me… get me out of here…_

Sakura's own consciousness came whirling back into her body, the disorientation was too much, and suddenly nothing made any sense at all.

And she ended this as she began it. Screaming.

* * *

"…_kura! Sakura! Kami, what the hell did he do to you?"_

Cold. Something cold was leeching the warmth from her body.

No sooner did she register this that something almost unbearably warm had come into contact with her frigid skin, and she felt her body being lifted gently.

"Sakura! Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered open; she thought perhaps she recognized the man that held her. But her own memories seemed distant. She stared.

"Shit, Sakura, you're freaking me out, yeah." The blonde haired man laid her on a soft surface, covering her with blankets and sitting beside her. "Hey, anybody home? Sakura?"

She blinked at him. "Deidara?"

He sighed heavily. "Good." His eyes trailed off to look at the floor where she'd been laying, surveying for a moment the wall above it. "Hunh. Looks like you pissed him off, yeah. Gonna have to get someone to patch up the wall."

She continued to stare at him blankly.

"Okay. You didn't listen to me about being careful with him. Am I right?"

Fingers dug into the warm blanket in front of her as she considered. "Right."

Another sigh. "What's going on here? I have no idea how long you laid on that floor but you're like ice. Must've been a good long time, yeah. What'd he do, knock you out or something?"

"Eyes," she stated blankly.

His expression sobered. "Oh." A pause. "Fucking Uchiha. I can't wait 'til I can blow his ass up, yeah! It'll be the most beautiful art I've ever made."

She swallowed tightly, some broken remnants of logic beginning to seep through her mind. "You have to tell me. What you know."

"What I know?" Deidara scratched his head and ran his hand over his face. "I don't know anything. Suddenly everything we've been doing seems to have nothing to do with jinchuuriki and everything to do with Uchihas. But they don't tell me shit. You know that kid, right? Sasuke?"

Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, well. I don't get it. I never wanted in with Akatsuki, and now I've never wanted_out_ more. But trying to get away is pretty much like tying your own noose, yeah."

Her vision started to swim. She wasn't sure she had really heard the last thing he said. _Not going to remember this conversation. Not remembering much else right now either._

"Sakura… hnh. Rest, okay? You just rest, I'll get you something to eat when you wake up."

Her eyes slid shut and her mind was quiet.

* * *

A clap of thunder assaulted her ears, and a brilliant flash of light made bolts of neon float behind Sakura's eyelids, and she woke with a start.

Groaning, she looked out the window. It was impossible to tell whether it was night or day; a wall of clouds billowed as the raging storm pelted fat raindrops on the glass.

The storm outside was nothing compared to the torrent in her mind.

Rubbing her temples, Sakura sat up, watching the water slap against her window. She had to piece things together.

_I confronted him. I told him my suspicions. He gave me no answers, not one. And I was so angry, and hurt, and frightened… _

"_Do not presume for an instant that you know me_." He had said.

It seemed that Itachi wanted to show her, just a little, who he truly was.

She had always been empathetic. When her friends and loved ones talked to her, she could reach out and _feel_ it with them.

She knew now that it was nothing but a pale shadow to the real thing. A shiver ran down her spine to remember it. It was as if that memory, that_transformation_, was hers now too.

_He can't even remember how Shisui died, how he did it…_

Itachi had shown her something she was sure no one else had ever seen before. It was ironic that she had berated him, that very night, for not being human. What she had experienced in the Tsukiyomi was… not human. It had pulsed through her, had offered her power she would probably never see the likes of again. And the only reason that she could say that she would never _want_ it again was because it wasn't hers to have; it wasn't meant to be. It was only for the Uchiha. It would have been a lie to say it didn't feel amazing. With power like that, what could she accomplish? She could take down anyone, anything.

It was only in hindsight that she could deafen herself to its siren call, realizing that _nothing_ in this world would make it worth it. No matter what great deeds she might fantasize she could do with it, it would not be _her_ doing it. It was something else, something horrible and sinister, and… _not human_.

Itachi, or what he once was, was surely gone. Any scraps of humanity remaining in him were so far shoved into the recesses of his mind that she couldn't fathom any way of bringing him back.

That didn't stop her from wanting to try. Because that same potential for madness was surely ripe in Sasuke. And in both of them, she had seen moments of tenderness, however fumbling and indirect they might have been.

People need closeness, she had told him. And there had been none for Itachi. She was confident of that. He had been raised to be a brilliant ninja, unparalleled and perfect.

Rule of the shinobi: Do not let emotions in.

A perfect ninja was an emotionless killer.

For once, she was grateful that her clan had not been ninja. Naruto, too, had discarded this rule. In a strange way, Naruto had wisdom about himself and his fellow man that many lacked. It was his emotions and his indomitable will that gave him strength. He was truly one of a kind.

"_He is dead to you now, he will never look at you the same way again,"_ Itachi had said.

Sakura smiled faintly. _It will take some time, but his heart will find me._

Shifting under the covers, Sakura stretched her back, trying to ease the soreness in her muscles. 

In truth, she hadn't been sure that her hypothesis about her dreams had been accurate. Though the power she'd felt and been dragged through last night certainly seemed that it could extend to manipulations of that sort.

_He violated me in one of the worst possible ways… he made me a criminal. He made me try to kill my best friend._

Sakura had to pause that train of thought. Had he? She remembered thinking, before she'd left the village, that she'd do anything for Sasuke. And so she had done. Itachi had merely drawn out that thread; she did not think that he had any power to physically control her actions. Would she have gone so far if not for the mind games he'd played? She would never know now.

_I should hate him. But I pity him too._

A sentiment he would surely not appreciate in the least.

The door squeaked on its hinges, opening slowly. Deidara's head poked around it. "Ah, you're awake… are you feeling any better?"

Sakura looked up at his wide blue eyes, forcing a smile. "Yes. Better." She pulled her fingers through her hair. "How long have I been out?"

"Hmm…" Deidara's hand stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I think, maybe three days in total?"

"_What?"_ It couldn't be right…

"Yeah, you were in and out for a long time, talking about… your dreams, I suppose."

"Oh." She rose from the bed, her toes curling when they hit the chill of the floor. Looking up at Deidara, she smiled, warmly this time. "Thank you, Deidara."

He shrugged. "No big deal. I mean, all you did was lay there and say weird stuff. No skin off my nose, yeah." He reached into his cloak then, pulling out a small paper-wrapped package. "Here! I got you this special; they said it was good anyway."

Reaching for it, her nose caught a whiff and she perked up; it smelled wonderful, maybe fresh sashimi and onigiri… "Oh, thank you again… I feel like I haven't eaten in… well I _haven't_ eaten in days."

She unwrapped the package and started shoveling the food into her mouth, pausing briefly to remind herself that she just might get sick if she ate too fast.

Deidara snickered. "Hey, watch it, you're starting to look like Sharky."

She glowered at him. He backed up carefully and turned, looking out the window with his hands clasped behind his back.

In record time, the food was gone and Sakura was once again trying to piece together information, trying to decide what might be next.

"Deidara… I don't know how much you know about what's happening here. But… you were right, I wasn't careful at all with Itachi, and I'm afraid I went too far. I… told him things I shouldn't have, thinking I had a shot at getting a response." She huffed softly. "I was a fool. He got the better of me so fast…"

"Hah! Now _that_ sounds familiar. That's how I ended up in this dump, yeah. One minute I'm taking in an art gallery, and the next I'm… well, that's history now I guess."

She looked up at him, not sure what to say. But he didn't seem interested in continuing that train of thought. 

Her fingers twisted in her lap. "I don't know what will happen now. Deidara, I'm here because of Itachi. I found him out, I think, and he's angry. And now I have no idea whether I have…" A painful lump began to form in her throat. "Whether I have any chance at all of ever getting what I came for."

Deidara looked at her, his eyes hard and scrutinizing. "Are you feeling better? I mean, entirely better? Really?"

A pause. "I don't think I'll ever be the same again."

His brows furrowed and his jaw tightened. "Well then, I guess it doesn't matter one way or the other, yeah. Here."

He reached into his robes and withdrew a small, slightly tattered scroll, its edges crackling audibly as he tried to hold it as gently as he could.

Sakura's heart leapt into her throat. She rose and reached for the scroll, her fingers touching the worn vellum as she let a dangerous hope take hold of her.

"Sasuke…" she breathed.

"_Be careful_, Sakura. Tell me what that is. What were you promised?"

"This… this will release him from the curse mark." Her words started coming faster now, her excitement too much to contain. "Orochimaru cursed him with some sort of demonic power, Deidara. When he transforms… it's hideous. He has no control over himself." She paused. "Itachi told me Akatsuki had the technique to remove it. That's why I'm here." She swallowed hard, oblivious now to the rain beating on her windows, to the other person in the room, her world focusing sharply on the scrap of paper she held between shaking fingers.

"I said be careful. How can you be sure it does what he promised?"

She unrolled it, very, very slowly, her fingers tracing the faded markings of brown ink. It was complex, but there was no one better suited to intricate jutsu than she. Studying it, she began to commit each seal to memory, noting the instructions on chakra molding. These too required finesse. There was nothing else in the world now at all, just the scroll and her mind working feverishly over its nuances.

Experimentally, tendrils of her chakra began flowing to the designated tenketsu. She measured it carefully before sending it through her body, carefully channeled, until she finally began running the seals, her fingers graceful and quick. There were twelve seals in total.

She began to mumble them over and over and over under her breath. It would clearly require absolute concentration and precision to execute; while she was expert and suited to this jutsu, it was by no means a walk in the park.

A small frown tugged at the corners of Deidara's mouth, his expression tight. "Have you figured out why he's here? Why I had to bring Sasuke here?"

"Hn. Doesn't matter now."

Deidara sat down on the bed right in front of her now, his head dropping sideways until she looked up at him. "Sakura. Itachi plays a deep game. I think you know that. Sounds like you've already figured out part of it, yeah. Don't get caught up in it now." A tension rose in his voice. "He's played you before, what makes you think he's not doing it now?"

Her face sprung up to meet his, her face stern. "Deidara, if you know something, then I suggest you tell me what the hell it is. If not," she shook her head. "I have nothing else. No other options, no other _hope_. And it's not as if I can't read this and understand its intent, what it might do. It's clearly for an unsealing, I'm not so green that I can't see that just from looking!"

"What else, Sakura? If you say the scroll is the genuine article, fine. What else are you overlooking?"

Sakura was about to tell him to leave, when she felt a faint burning sensation on her finger. She lifted her hand to her face.

The ring was glowing a gentle blue.

* * *

A/N: Hopefully the first part wasn't too confusing; I did intend for it to be a _little_jarring, just to put you in Sakura's/Itachi's shoes.

I suspect that every chapter is going to be tougher for me from here on out. Let the games begin!


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 14**_

* * *

It was not that Sasuke hadn't considered the possibility that if he gave in to his desire, his most fundamental and driving need, that he would only be sinking into the same depravity his brother had.

He had considered it. He justified it by weighing it on a scale; his brother had decimated the entire clan. Sasuke sought only to snuff out that one life that took it all away.

Most of the time, such logic worked. It made sense. It was exactly what he wanted to believe.

And in his more lucid moments, he had considered his sensei's words. _"In the end, those who tasted revenge were not satisfied… it ended in tragedy. You'll only hurt and suffer more… even if you were successful, all you'll be left with is emptiness."_

And then, there was Sakura. Believing with her whole heart that despite the circumstances, she was a murderer. She'd lived with that belief for a year, and had become hollowed out by it, a part of her vibrant soul shaken and tattered. Seeing her as he had, outside the confines of the warmth and comfort of Konoha, had struck him as… incorrect. That absolute blankness of expression she had worn did not suit her. It made her too much like him.

For whatever reason, that wrongness in her character made him do and think things he wouldn't have dreamt of before. He'd begun to believe that maybe the dobe would be right. Her fall from grace _was _his fault. And when he told her Naruto was alive, and she finally broke down, he'd wiped away her tears and held her, and a strange sensation of relief and warmth had come over him. Sasuke did not recall ever having _comforted_ anyone… it felt…

Jaw clenched tightly, he tried to shake off such thoughts.

He wrapped himself in his newly acquired cloak and exited the shop; he estimated he was roughly ten miles from the other, larger village he had settled at before. He sought further information; nothing was forthcoming. And the storm that raged on did not make his investigations any easier.

Sasuke stood beneath the shop's awning, watching the dirty puddles in the street grow larger and ripple under the continuing assault of rain. The metal above him echoed with the hard, constant strikes of raindrops, his breath clouding in the air.

There was a part of him that would always be fighting it, the curse that gave them their power and their jaded view of the world, even as children. Perhaps it was only among the most powerful of the Uchiha that the battle to stay in control of oneself raged most fiercely. Constantly assessing and re-assessing what right and wrong really were. Sasuke had lost that fight already more times than he could count. And though he would never admit it to anyone, the second stage of the curse mark took away his control over this side of him to an extent that worried even him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and unbidden, the first image that played across the darkness was his arms holding Sakura in a crushing embrace. His words and his actions had not said the same thing when he held her, felt her… he didn't want to let her go this time.

_No._

He would _not_ drag them down with him. Even if it meant pushing them away, fighting them to the brink of death, spitting out stinging words… even if it meant they would hate him. It seemed though, that the more he made them bleed, the more they sacrificed to get him back. _Why do they go so far for me?_

Sasuke stepped out into the torrent abruptly, welcoming the hard, cold raps of the raindrops on his body. It shocked him into a more comfortable and familiar thought pattern.

_Itachi._

Just a breath of a thought. That was all it took to lose that battle once again.

The acrid taste of absolute, utter treachery had forever stained his memories of his childhood, of a brother he had once loved.

In the end, it was that betrayal that he could not accept or overlook, not for the sake of moral high ground or anything else. Not from someone who had been so important to him.

Without warning, Sasuke sensed the distant spark of chakra. Familiar and dark, he recognized it instantly. A smirk formed on his lips, his fingers curled into fists, and he surged forward, toward the location of that momentary pulse.

_It's him._

He churned forward faster than he'd ever moved in his life, _phasing_ more than running, his chakra hurtling him through the night. Masking it as much as he could, he did not let up on that speed, the urgency and adrenaline pumping through his veins too much to let him fall back.

Closer and closer, and Sasuke scanned the area around where his brother's signature had come from, finding that Itachi was alone.

_This could be a trap. Kisame may well be in wait somewhere. I'll have to stay vigilant._

The closer he came, the more his heart seized in wild anticipation; it was clouding his mind, but some primitive and instinctual part of him was sending warning messages, a vague sense of foreboding creeping through him as he honed in on his target.

_Why did he let his chakra signature become detectable?_

Sasuke sensed he was very close now, and ground his movements to a halt. The storm pounded on, claps of thunder rumbling overhead as he crouched in a grassy field. His teeth were grinding so hard the sounds echoed through his head.

_I can't rush this. I have to think. Does he assume he's safe, that there's no one around? Unlikely._

Sakura's words came rushing back to him: _"If Itachi doesn't want to be found or tracked, he won't be." _

_Sakura believed I had been led here; if that's the case, I think he's actually broadcasting his location for me._

A tight grin formed on his features, and Sasuke started moving. _So. He thinks I'm ready now._

His feet pushed forward once again… and a shadowed figure came into view, standing utterly still in the middle of the plains, undisturbed by the rain, his robes billowing in the sharp winds.

Sasuke skidded to a halt thirty feet from him. His brother. The man that had driven him since he was a child. _I've found him._

"Sasuke." Itachi merely speaking his name sent Sasuke's blood surging.

His voice thrummed with anticipation. "It's time, Itachi. Time to end this."

A smirk curled on Itachi's lips. "We will see."

The ringing of a blade being freed from its sheath sounded in the air as Sasuke pulled out his katana. The atmosphere was electric.

_The storm works to my advantage._

The brothers' eyes bled into the sharingan simultaneously as they looked at each other, Itachi merely watchful for the moment. Sasuke's muscles twitched, every nerve raw, his pulse sounding like a drum in his ears.

_This is it._

With a matching curl of the lips, Sasuke fell into an offensive stance, his body moving with untraceable speed as he closed the distance between them, forgoing the predictable full body slice he was sure his brother would expect. Instead, as he rushed forward with a howl, his blade suddenly sank diagonally on full defense as his entire body began to crackle with electricity. He quickly released one of his hands from the hilt and began to create a second blade, this one formed of the dangerous, hissing chakra that enveloped him. He rushed Itachi with this, his katana held steady against any counterattack.

Itachi's eyes widened briefly before he retreated, his body simply disappearing from the spot; Sasuke watched his opponents' movements, clenching his jaw in frustration.

_He's still faster than me._

"You cannot think to best me with speed, brother." Itachi paused, watching Sasuke's body glowing in the storm. "Are you curious about the jutsu that sparked your awareness of my presence?" He lifted his hand, a blue glow surrounding a small ring on his finger. "It's an alert. I am awaiting my partner. I do not expect any interference, since this is a… private matter; but Akatsuki does work as a unit."

The inference was not lost on Sasuke. His brother was telling him he was a fool to come here alone.

Sasuke released the chakra blade, contemplating his next move. His feet picked up again, seeking to get around Itachi, throwing kunai from one hand, multiple sharp blades ricocheting off one another in a difficult to predict dance intended to get his opponent on the move, once again forming the chakra blade with his other hand as he rushed in a tight pattern around the cloaked figure of his brother. Itachi dodged and whirled gracefully, and Sasuke realized belatedly that the rain was slowing the projectiles by a fraction of a second; not all of them moved in the intended trajectory. But his opponents footing had to be off, nevertheless; the chakra blade extended rapidly as Itachi fell back against the last volley of kunai, Sasuke anticipating his brother's body placement and sending his chakra lurching forward.

Itachi was hit. Sasuke was panting hard, the sheer excitement of the moment gripping him as he twisted and sliced the burning chakra downward, finally wrenching it from his victim with a flourish.

The man before him disintegrated into a flurry of inky crows.

A silken, dark voice spoke from close behind him, his tone hushed. "I told you to come to me when you had eyes like mine. You cannot hope to defeat me as you are now."

Sasuke exhaled his held breath, the air hissing between clenched teeth.

_Too fast. If I can't hit him with this, the chidori won't hit him either. I have to slow him down somehow._

Sasuke swiveled, his body still alight, as hissing vipers flung themselves from his sleeves in a rush toward Itachi, and he spun, sending them careening in all directions.

_I just need one of them, just one to catch hold…_

Swallowing, Sasuke looked in the one direction his companions hadn't gone.

Up.

Itachi's eyes were closed briefly before snapping open, the sharingan suddenly altered; the snakes rose from the ground and up toward him, hoping to grab purchase on his robes as he hovered briefly.

The feeling Sasuke experienced then was strange; it was as if the world had briefly tilted on its axis with a _boom_ that was more felt than heard, but his eardrums pulsed with it… he retreated as quickly as he could, but the snakes were suddenly caught in a vortex, screeching as they burned with a strange black fire before disintegrating. Sasuke pulled backwards, the dark flames licking at his hands. He screamed, falling to the ground, his body still flickering with rapidly waning electricity.

_Dammit!_

Sasuke's breath shuddered, the burns on his hands and arms searing into his skin. His hand clutched his shoulder as the curse mark flew across his body, the first stage sending bolts of power through his blood.

Footsteps began shuffling through the grasses toward him. The rain was beginning to let up. But the adrenaline buzzing through him never stopped, the hard _thump, thump, thump_ of his heartbeat buffeting at his chest.

Itachi stood before him, not seeking to attack. Body tense and prepared for defense, Sasuke rose to his feet, not wanting to give his brother the satisfaction of seeing him injured.

His brother's voice was coaxing, his head lowered toward the ground. "Tell me, do you have someone important to you, brother? Someone close?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his breaths came faster. "I don't want to play games, Itachi. I came here to kill you."

Another step forward. "You cannot. Not yet."

_Thump, thump, thump._

Itachi's eyes rose level with his; pinwheels had formed in their crimson depths. Sasuke cursed under his breath and looked down; he couldn't risk that his own sharingan could fight the Mangekyou for long.

The quiet in the field was strange, after the crackle of Sasuke's chakra had slowed, and the rain was now just a whisper of gentle pattering on the grasses.

_I have to be ready. I still have more tricks up my sleeve. I'll let him close in this time and gauge him._

A step. Itachi's voice, when he spoke, was so soft. "She is beautiful, brother."

Sasuke's breathing stopped. Every muscle in his body was strung with tension. The rhythm of his heart was erratic now. His eyes widened, and he decided he would look at his brother now, and simply fight it as long as he could. He needed to understand what that meant. Right now.

Itachi continued, the same low, sibilant near-whisper. "So innocent. So intelligent and powerful." His face held no mockery, nor was it entirely blank, but still impossible to read.

Shaking. Blood dripping from palms that were being sliced open by his own fingernails. Not quite fingernails, now; claws were rapidly forming.

Sasuke's teeth bared with a hiss, and he growled out his next words, deep and sinister, as his body began to transform. "Don't you dare talk about her. _Shut up, Itachi._"

Itachi took a deep breath before he spoke again. "She often dreams of a field of wildflowers near the village." His eyes took on a look of questioning, even as the pinwheels that could quickly spell the end of this battle spun madly. "We never had dreams like that, did we, brother?"

…_thump… thump, thump… thump, thump…_

Sasuke shook his head, absolute denial etched on his face. _No. No! This can't be real… How could he know her dreams…?_

His face twisted, rage pouring out of every fiber of his body. "_Shut UP!_"

The second stage of the curse mark ate away at him, his skin churning and thickening, boiling outward to form a new, scaly flesh. Familiar ripping sounds tore through the air as the muscle and tendon of his back gave way, new bone and leathery wings stretching and shuddering to their full size, a twisted mockery of webbed fingers. His hair bristled, his teeth sharpened. He poured all his anger, his loathing, his disgust into this transformation, his chakra burning. His body quivered as he rose to full height, wings flexing and stretching experimentally. A red haze swam in his vision.

_I am hate now, brother. Can you feel it?_

There was no turning back now.

* * *

Her body was shaking. She could not recall a moment, ever in her life, where she had been more filled with dread and adrenaline, and wanting so much not to see what she knew was surely coming with each step she took. Her heavy breaths crystallized in the air, her heart pounding so hard…

She was getting close; Itachi's chakra signature had flared somewhere between the base and the village. Her only thought now was that if Sasuke was there, he'd need her help, and she needed to get to him. _Fast_.

In the slackening rain, she pushed forward, her robes flying in the cold air.

A figure began to come into view before her. No. Two, one obscured behind the other. Her breath caught in her throat.

_No! No, please let me not be too late…_

She came to a skidding halt twenty feet from Itachi's back. She watched his still form, the quiet agonizing. He did not acknowledge her presence.

And then, two great wings, like those of a monster, creaked open, fanning upwards from in front of Itachi, the movement sending a shock of wind through the plains and pressing the wet grasses to the ground.

A visceral howl tore through the air.

Sakura's body was suddenly so weak, her head was light and her vision swam with the lack of oxygen; she could not breathe.

Razor sharp claws from the tips of each wing flexed, hovered, targeting the man who stood before the demon. They fell…

…Itachi did not move.

"NO… Sasuke!" her voice shook.

All movement halted.

Sakura's body was quaking now, her breath still too shallow. She watched as Sasuke's transformed visage shifted to look over his brother's shoulder… and straight at her.

It was as if the world had simply stopped.

The face of a snarling, primal demon suddenly slackened, its alien eyes widening slowly, with the all too human expression of a man who'd been betrayed one too many times. His eyes raked over her, pausing at her chest, her hand. The most powerful form Sakura had yet seen, and he was frozen and deflated, absolutely dumbfounded into inaction.

It was horrifying. Her vision swam as she remembered her time in the Tsukiyomi, that power surging through her… surely this was what Sasuke felt, right now? But there was more, now. It wasn't only because he was so transformed.

There she stood, enwrapped in the robes of the Akatsuki, the silver ring on her finger glowing. Stopping him from dealing what might have been the death blow to his greatest enemy.

Tears began falling now. "No, Sasuke… please, don't do it this way. It will only leave you empty. It will only make it worse."

His face twisted now, teeth bared, eyes narrowed. His body tensed and shook violently.

She heard Itachi's voice then, his words ringing with finality, low and treacherous. "My partner, Sasuke." He glanced briefly over his shoulder at her, his expression blank, before turning back to Sasuke. "_I told you to come to me when you have eyes like mine,"_ he repeated.

Sasuke's eyes never left her.

Itachi's hand rose then, revealing his own ring, alight with chakra. He leaned in to speak into Sasuke's ear. "_She will never belong to you."_

The sky was split with the wild, keening sound of an unearthly scream, Sasuke's head tilting backward.

Itachi sidestepped quickly and turned to face her. There were no barriers between Sasuke and Sakura now.

She was desperate. "NO! Sasuke, you can't listen…"

Her head shook over and over, not wanting to believe it, her tears coming fast, unable to understand, to focus, to believe that this was really happening… until Itachi looked at her.

There was a strange look in his eyes she had never witnessed before. Apology? Compassion? Pity? Regret? She couldn't be sure, but somehow it steeled her; she closed her eyes and shut out everything, her concentration absolute, as was needed for this jutsu.

She did not feel the initial shockwave of Sasuke's great wings pulsing again, beating hard as the ground shook with his forward momentum.

Her fingers moved in the twelve seals. In precise order, with precise shots of chakra barreling through her, sending jolts through her body and her fingers as the sheer immensity of the jutsu engulfed her.

_This is all I have. It's my one shot at setting this right. You have to come _home_, Sasuke._

The final seal was completed. Her eyes opened; Itachi's face was turned away now.

In that split second, the next thing she saw was Sasuke's blade two inches from her chest, and in the miniscule span of time she had before contact, she twitched her body to the left, as much as she could manage, before his katana sunk into her chest. An intense and unspeakable pain blossomed in her. She exhaled roughly, her eyes already becoming glassy and unfocused.

She stared for a moment into Sasuke's face, a look of confusion spreading across his strange features. Coughing blood, she reached forward agonizingly slowly. The blade sunk deeper into her, inch by inch as she sought her target.

Her eyes locked onto his.

Chakra flared and lit the dusk as she struck her hand to his shoulder hard, burning outward from her body, the stored chakra points she had channeled during the seals pouring into him. Her body was the conduit for the unsealing, and she could feel herself draining rapidly, both her chakra and her own sticky blood. Exhaustion and pain flowed through them both, and they collapsed heavily to their knees.

As the wings at his back began to crust over and disintegrate, falling to the ground in heaps of ash and bone, Sasuke never stopped watching her, wide-eyed. His skin peeled and the pale bristles of his hair fluttered to the earth, his own midnight blue returning.

Sakura smiled as the final vestiges of the demon form fell away, blood dripping from her mouth as she coughed; it was pooling now in her lung.

With the last tiny shred of her chakra, Sakura reached out and began healing Sasuke's burned arms, frustrated as the heat there refused to wane. It was wasted. But now, she had nothing left. It was all she could give.

Looking at him one more time, she spoke, barely a whisper. "You're back. _Good._"

Her eyes rolled back and her body slumped, and Sasuke caught her gently in his arms as he shook uncontrollably. It was the last thing she would remember.

* * *

Sasuke just sat there, holding her. He didn't move. He didn't wait for some glorious transformation. He didn't seek to kill his brother. Not now.

He just sat there, and stared at her. There was simply nothing else he could think to do.

A loud voice rang through the night.

"Itachi! What the fuck is going on?! I thought she was one of us now! Why didn't you stop him?!" He was angry.

"Stay out of this, Deidara. It is not your concern." Itachi's voice was deadpan.

Sasuke heard the flap of wings, large ones, nearing him. Footsteps now, coming closer, until finally a pair of feet materialized to the right of him.

A sigh, followed by silence; Sasuke felt eyes boring into his back, as if he were being sized up. The man knelt beside him, and suddenly he felt a hand gripping him, along with an unexpected biting sensation as the man grabbed him by his shirt.

His words were laced with sheer venom, his nostrils flaring. "Listen you little piece of shit. You get her to a medic. Or figure out how to wake her up so she can heal herself. _Something._ _Now._"

"Deidara." Itachi interrupted.

The blonde released his grip on Sasuke and rose, turning to Itachi. "Well, damn. Looks like I've come to the party with my own length of rope. Fine. Long overdue anyway, yeah." He smirked and continued, staring Itachi down with absolute contempt. "I have to say, Itachi, you are one hell of an artist. I don't think I've ever seen a mind fuck so colorful. How did you do it, anyway? Just how long have you been playing this game?"

Itachi was silent.

"Well. Let's get started, then, yeah." Deidara grinned, baring teeth. "I wanna see what you think of my new trick; I created this work of art just for you." He swiveled then, glaring at Sasuke. "_Go!"_

Sasuke rose, cradling Sakura gently in his arms. He pushed off, his feet barely touching ground, and as he swiftly fled, he heard the triumphant shout:

"_This'll be a BANG!_"

* * *

A/N: Don't freak, people. We ain't done yet.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 15**_

* * *

It was another one of those times when right and wrong were viciously, confusingly blurred. But Sasuke's mind was too numb to contemplate it. He simply couldn't. Not right now.

Time moved strangely. He wasn't sure how far from the site of their battle he had gotten. The fields rushing by his peripheral vision went unnoticed, the gentle rain ignored. A shadowy line of trees came into focus on his right, and he ducked into them, the rustling of leaves somehow comforting.

He looked down at her as he pushed forward, her body inert. He was afraid to pull out the katana, so he simply secured it where it was; if he removed it, would the wound be worse? He didn't know. He grimaced with distaste looking at it. The blood flow seemed to have stopped… or maybe he simply didn't notice because there was already so much soaking him. He watched for the rise and fall of her chest, however faint, however sluggish it might be. It meant she was still alive.

The rhythm of his movements was measured, but quick. He simply kept moving, one foot in front of the other, heading north toward Grass. Stopping anywhere in Rain seemed a particularly bad idea; he had no idea how long Deidara would be able to keep Itachi at bay. One thing was certain: Sasuke hadn't landed a single hit against his brother.

Reflexively, he checked for Sakura's breathing again. How many times now had he glanced down, seeking life, _spark_ from the girl he'd once called annoying? And there was that frustrating disorientation again; all he had to do was look at her and his heart raced, while the black-and-white pattern of his thoughts fought a bitter war for dominance.

_Sakura, you're a fool. Did you really think my brother would be honest with you? How could you take away the only weapon I had with any chance of defeating him?_

And then, the other side would take over.

_I almost killed her with that weapon. I almost killed her. And if she hadn't released the curse seal when she did…_

Itachi talking about Sakura's dreams… Deidara's words when he confronted his brother… _"How did you do it, anyway? Just how long have you been playing this game?"_… it all added up to something so horrific and sinister, that it made his hate for his brother crystallize, tightening into a focus of _purpose_ so clear and pure that his body shook with it.

As if instigated by his thoughts, Sasuke felt a strange sensation; rolling through his blood, warming him slowly, a faint, fledgling surge, something… _alien._ It felt like…

He checked Sakura's breathing again.

_So slow…_

His heart began to thud. The leaves of the forest floor crunched beneath his feet as he came to a halt, scanning the surroundings for shelter. A tall rock formation was just ahead of him, and he plunged through the underbrush, seeking something to keep them out of the elements; though the rain had now stopped, the fingers of mist weaving through the air threatened to leech away any remaining warmth in the unconscious woman's body.

_I won't make it to a medic. She's not going to… _He refused to finish the thought.

He found an opening in the rocks. He peered through it, investigating; the hole opened into a sandstone cave, large enough for both of them and a fire. It didn't appear to be occupied, at least at the moment.

Stepping through gingerly, he laid Sakura on her side, the movement slow and gentle.

Once again, all he could think to do was look at her, kneeling now before her. There wasn't anything he could do… his eyes roamed her face, tracing the curve of her cheek, her parted lips, long, pale eyelashes. Her most striking feature was not on display, her eyes closed as her breathing slowed further. Inexplicably, this made him angry again. Whether it was at himself or her, he did not know.

Again, the _surging_ in his body, stronger this time, his muscles twitching a little with it.

_Wait… is this… _

He shook out his hands, looking at them for a moment. They trembled, and his blood leapt.

In that moment, Sakura's eyelids fluttered.

He couldn't look at the sword piercing her chest anymore. It made him angry. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke seized the katana still in her chest, and removed it swiftly but cleanly, dealing no further injury; still, more blood_did _ spill from the wound, just as he'd feared. His heart pounded furiously as he ripped the Akatsuki cloak into shreds and began wrapping her chest with it, tightly, hoping to stop the bleeding.

_This isn't Naruto… she won't just start healing on her own._

She was on her back now, and he reached out carefully, leaning into her, his fingers grazing the delicate skin of her neck, seeking a pulse. The minute, shallow breaths ghosting over his cheek were so faint, so slow, the beating at his fingertips steadily weakening.

Desperation began to clutch at him now, the aching _finality_ of these moments manifest in his face. What could he do? He had done this thing. His vaunted powers, the Uchiha genius, was utterly powerless to give life; he could only take it away. He had seen her close to death before.

His teeth clenched in frustration. _I will not allow it. Not Sakura._

His breath trembled, their faces so close, and still, the most comfortable emotion was anger, deep and penetrating, seeking someone to blame.

Her eyelids stilled.

And suddenly Sasuke's body began to shudder spasmodically, his eyes still locked onto her now still form, a nauseating lurch in his equilibrium making his head spin and his ears ring.

The sensation could only be described as… _power._ But it was out of his control. It latched onto him, his chakra flaring wildly, the strange impression of a gaping maw of darkness stretching before him, offering, enticing…

With the last fleeting remnants of his own awareness, he realized that this was enough power and more to meet his brother and take him down. It was what he'd sought nearly all his life.

But as the grasping, almost sentient offering stole away more and more of his mind, he saw the one thing in this world that might take away the anger, just long enough for him to turn it away.

Her green eyes. They were open.

Somehow, she had opened them, perhaps with the very last of her energy. Her face remained slack, her body still. But she was looking at him.

The dark seduction of power stretching before his mind's eye retreated, that strange _life_ behind it cowed into momentary submission.

Sasuke steadied himself, his mind racing, grasping for ideas as he looked into her eyes. Suddenly, remembrance dawned and he mentally kicked himself, hard.

_I've seen it done before… I've seen Kabuto lending Orochimaru his chakra… but I've never done it myself. If I hurt her again…_

There was no time to consider the risks.

_She'll be dead if I do nothing! _

The shockwaves of transformation continued to batter at him as he tried to concentrate; he took Sakura's hand, twining her cold fingers into his, his eyes never, ever leaving hers. They were his compass, his anchor.

His chakra began to coalesce, flowing as gently as he could make it into his hands, and he began pressing it gently into her, testing…

It was as if her body had simply snatched at the thread, pulling it hard from him, hungrily soaking it in. He responded quickly, pouring more into it, seeking response in her face, _anything._ He was breathless, flooding more and more and more of his chakra. A nearly imperceptible smile began forming on his lips.

The presence in his blood faded with each moment, and he knew he never wanted to see it again. It would send him on the path toward _becoming _ the one man he hated most in this world It would eat him alive.

"Come on, Sakura. Come on. Come back. You brought me back. So just wake up. Just_wake up_."

She began twitching slightly, her breathing getting stronger… until finally, her hand on the other side of her body was trying to rise, tentatively; Sasuke saw the motion, and took it in one of his hands, setting it gently on her chest.

A faint, green chakra began emanating from her delicate fingers. Sasuke nearly laughed, and kept fueling her efforts.

* * *

_Dark. Can't feel my limbs. Not sure I can move. Still cold. So tired…_

Her eyes remained closed. Sakura wasn't sure she could open them yet if she tried. Her thoughts were hazy and unfocused, but she perceived that she was lying on her side. Perhaps. That side felt colder than the rest of her. There seemed to be some warmth in front of her, and… faint movement behind her. Steady. Someone breathing evenly. There was warmth there, too.

_Still dizzy. Can't breathe quite right. Fingers?_

She tried moving them, experimentally; they rose a hair's breadth before dropping again.

_Well. Sleep again._

As her consciousness fled once more, his arm tightened around her waist, gently.

* * *

"Sakura."

The first thing she noticed was the unusual gentleness in his voice. She was not sure she would have expected that.

Slowly, her eyes opened, as if finally emerging from a dark tunnel; there was brightness before her. A fire crackled, lighting the edges of a small cavern, the walls of it glistening with moisture.

Experimentally, she lifted her index finger; then more fingers moved, and she was able to lift her hand. Even these miniscule movements were difficult, but she managed to carefully push onto her back, her abdomen tensing as she rolled. Her breath came in shallow hitches.

Sasuke watched her shift, sitting back on his haunches, the expression in his eyes soft. "Are you ready to start healing yourself again? You're still too cold."

"Thank you," she managed, her voice frail. It was all she could think to say. A twinge of memory echoed through her mind at the phrase… _"Thank you."_ She shivered, searching Sasuke's face.

He didn't respond, his aspect unchanging. He simply took her hand in his, fingers closing around hers, as wisps of chakra began to curl down her arms. She brought it into her, carefully this time, feeling it begin to fill the nearly empty channels in her body. Most of the last infusion Sasuke had given her had gone into healing her lung, rudimentarily; the best she could do under the circumstances. Enough to keep her breathing. Just enough to get her blood started again.

The massive chakra exhaustion had surely been the worst of it. Better ninja than she had died of it; but she'd ignored it when she saw the scroll, despite knowing what it would do to her. But in truth, what choice had she had?

Deidara had asked her what she was overlooking.

But now, all she could wonder was what had happened. Was Itachi…?

"Sasuke. How did we… I mean, how did you…?" She sighed, her words lame and unclear. They just wouldn't come out right.

He remained expressionless; his face was slack, but not cold. "Deidara. He intervened."

A frown etched Sakura's face, an exhalation of held breath escaping her lips. "Ah, kami."

_He couldn't possibly have survived that. Not with Itachi. Oh, Deidara…_

Sasuke shifted slightly, switching to a cross-legged position, placing her hand on his knee as he continued his ministrations. "At this point, I think he must have delayed Itachi long enough that we're clear for the moment. But we need to get moving soon. I spent some time covering our tracks, but that won't be good enough for long."

"He won't follow," Sakura stated bluntly.

The surprise on his face was clear. "Why not? He's been planning this for a long time, Sakura." That last sentence was punctuated with a tensing of his jaw.

Her voice was very small. "You could have finished me off." She looked at him; he was frozen in place. "You could even now, if you wanted to."

The tension between them was taut as a bowstring. So many questions hovered, so far unspoken. Had he really only done that to her because of the curse seal's influence? Had he forgiven her for what she'd done? For joining Akatsuki, for taking away the curse seal he'd considered a necessity in his fight against them?

And the biggest question of all – had he felt it, that _power, _starting to tug at him as it had on Itachi?

She didn't know. It began to seem that she would never know, as the moments stretched into anxious minutes; but the flow of his chakra continued unabated, the peculiar intimacy of its warmth welling in her.

_He may never answer these questions with words. But I so need to hear them, something, anything, just once._

She closed her eyes tightly, breathing deeply, trying desperately to control herself. She wanted to burst, wanted to shout at him, get _something_ out of him. Perhaps there would be regret, for opportunities lost or stolen. Maybe he would never forgive her.

But for now… for now, she'd just take what was given. In the end, he had chosen to save her life. There was the warmth of his hands and his chakra, and a quiet in his eyes that she couldn't remember ever having seen before. It would have to be enough…

"Sakura. You understand now… why I had to leave."

She looked up at him. "Tell me."

Sasuke focused on her hand now, watching tendrils of chakra weaving over her skin. "They'll use you against me. Anyone that's…" His words trailed off.

"Anyone close to you?" _Ah, kami, so close…_

"I won't stand by and let it happen." His words came fast now. "You and Naruto need to let me do this alone. You've seen now what he'll do for power… you must have been crazy to think he'd really help you! There's _always_ more to it, Sakura. And I still have no idea what game he's playing."

The healing chakra pouring from her fingers wavered, her concentration shaken. "It's not just me and Naruto that would help you, Sasuke… if you would just _let_ them! Akatsuki isn't just _your_ enemy, they're an enemy of the village! And of Naruto…" His eyes hardened as she spoke their friend's name. "Do you really think Tsunade is just sitting in Konoha waiting for the battle to come to her?"

His hand tightened painfully on hers. "It's too late for that! I can't just walk back into the village now!"

"Please, Sasuke… just let us help you…"

"_Enough._" His grip loosened, his face slack. "Enough, Sakura. Just… concentrate on healing yourself."

There was silence then, though Sakura searched his eyes for any sign, any emotion, any information that wasn't coming in words.

Finally, he looked away, his thumb absently stroking her hand. He didn't seem to be aware he was doing it. "Sakura, I'm…" He stopped. His face was in shadow now.

She concentrated on the gentle touch of his fingers, sighing. "Me too."

* * *

A/N: My apologies for the delay, I know I normally update more quickly. Work crap, bleh.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

_**Chapter 16**_

* * *

Sakura's mind began to stir, hazily; her eyes remained closed as her body shifted slightly, fingers dragging over soft fabric. There was warmth, too, and the smell of earth and blood.

With a barely controlled start, she realized her head was nestled on Sasuke's shoulder, her arm resting on his chest. She opened her eyes to find herself gazing at his neck, the gentle pulse at the base of it visible.

_Is he awake?_

The rise and fall of his chest continued unabated, rhythmic and calm. She sighed lightly, sinking back into him, his heartbeat thudding softly in ear.

_For just this one moment, I can stay here and pretend that everything is okay. That we're back home, where we belong._

The tempo of his heart increased then, but he didn't move.

_Ah… not long enough…_

She debated how long she might remain here, pretending to sleep; but the awkwardness would gnaw at her, if only for his sake. Surely he was uncomfortable waking this way, even if he _had_ opened up to her, just a little.

Lifting her body carefully, she hoisted herself up, still dizzy and somewhat weak. But it was an improvement to be able to get upright.

She sighed. "Sorry, Sasuke. I must've just been cold."

He watched her, still on his back, and eventually propped himself onto his elbow. "You_were_ cold." The expression he wore was difficult to read. "Are you feeling up to travel now?"

A slight frown tugged at the corners of her lips. "I don't know, Sasuke. Where are we going?"

"Home." His brow creased the moment he spoke the word, and he hastily rose from the ground to stand, nearly hitting the cavern's ceiling, running his hand through his hair. "I'm going to get you back to the village."

She watched him; like so many times before, he looked as if his thoughts were battling, confusion and irritation chasing across his features. "And you…? Are you coming home, too?"

He glared at her briefly before he began gathering up what little they had on them; pouches and weapons. Looking at the floor of the cavern, beside the cooling embers of the fire pit, she spied the ripped remains of her Akatsuki cloak. It was completely ruined. She reached for it, dragging it across the cavern floor, her fingers shaking a little. It seemed such a foreign thing, all of a sudden. Talking of home, of Konoha, and then to see _this_… the contrast of feelings was stark. And yet, she had learned something there. She had learned a great deal there.

There was companionship to be had in the strangest places. Back when Itachi had found her in Rain, Sakura was sure that there could not possibly be any greater darkness in the world than that in her own mind. It had changed her.

What had become of Deidara? He was a good person. Although it was sure he was a criminal, and perhaps he'd done terrible things before… she simply couldn't see him as a one-dimensional evil image anymore. He'd sparred with her, and made her breakfast, and shared sake. And in the end, he was one of the reasons she was alive.

_Deidara… please be well, somewhere._

And what might have happened had Sasuke not appeared in the village in Rain when he had? She had surrendered to something with Itachi, something desperate and needy, wanting so much to fill a gap in her heart, seeing things in him that were maybe never there. She'd always been told she had too tender a heart. Sakura knew this to be true when her thoughts meandered to the minute evidences that maybe, just maybe, there was still a shred of humanity left in Itachi. Despite all the horrid things he'd put her through. Still.

She had told Sasuke that home wasn't the same thing it once was. Home was, perhaps, no longer a place, but just a feeling. A safe harbor. Though she knew she didn't belong with Akatsuki, she wasn't sure she was quite_ready_ to go back to Konoha, just yet.

If she went back without Sasuke, it wouldn't be home.

"Are you ready?" Sasuke asked quietly, extending a hand her.

She shook her head, his choice of words echoing and ironic, and smiled up at him. Accepting his hand, she felt his fingers curl around hers and grip them firmly. She looked up and finally took in his appearance; he was covered in what she presumed was her blood, dried and cracking on his clothes. His arms were now bandaged to the elbows.

_The burns!_

"Sasuke, your arms… I'd forgotten! Are they all right?"

"Hn."

"Let me look…"

"No." He pulled back, tying his cloak together at the neck. "They're fine. Let's go."

She nodded in silent resignation. There wasn't much she could say or do, even now. Walking carefully, she moved past him, to the mouth of the cave, peering out.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder, her face lowered toward the ground. "Let's go home." She didn't wait for his response. Stepping out into the cool morning air, she braced herself for the journey.

* * *

Traveling in her condition was slow going, and done mostly in silence. She couldn't use much chakra; her body was still weak, and what she needed most was just to rest. But Sasuke urged her on, gently, picking her up when she stumbled. He was so quiet.

_What could he be thinking about? The closer we get to Konoha, the more troubled he seems. He never did answer my question…_

Judging by how long they'd been traveling, she estimated that they must be close now. Sasuke's steps seemed to slow more and more, the closer they got. At first, he had kept some distance between them, and she had watched his back. Now, he stayed at her side.

The silence was starting to make Sakura a little crazy.

She smiled brightly. "I wonder if Naruto's gotten taller."

Sasuke looked at her for a moment, one eyebrow rising. "I'm sure he's not taller than me."

Sakura laughed, a true laugh, bright. "Actually, I think he _was_ taller than you already…"

Nothing but a dismissive grunt this time.

The laughter faded as her thoughts turned now in earnest, thinking of all the people she'd be reuniting with. "I wonder what Tsunade-shishou will say. I've been gone so long now. I… I don't know if she'll believe me…" She thought that they had to forgive her, that they had to understand…

He looked at her seriously. As they walked, he came closer to her, perhaps unconsciously. "You were used, Sakura. There's no question about that. They'll know that there's no way you would have done…"

"Done what? What I did to Naruto? Joined with the enemy?" She shook her head. "I don't know if they'll forgive me. Even still."

Her doubts had plagued her for miles as they walked. But, she had always thought that Sasuke would be taken back, that he would be forgiven. No matter what he had done, he was still a comrade; she had simply assumed that they would accept him again. Their situations weren't so very different, were they?

Considering it more deeply, the similarities were striking.

She watched him; his eyes traced the ground, his brows knit. Perhaps he was considering her words. They had both done harm to a comrade… both left the village and ended up in the arms of the enemy. And their motivation? Revenge, love… did it matter _why_?

"You have valuable information about Akatsuki. Use that." The words he spoke didn't match his tone, forced and edged with anger. She couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about himself too, just a little. Indeed, what _would_ they do if he returned?

She realized now that it was pointless to fight it. Seeing her own predicament so sharply, she understood his a little more.

It was getting close to sunset now, the sky washed in watercolors as the sun began its descent. And she began, slowly, to recognize small landmarks they passed; a certain copse of trees, the layout of rock formations, the occasional hut tucked into the forest, and now they neared farmlands, the forest opening into fields.

Her breath started to come just a little faster with each step.

She had to know if he was coming with her. If he was coming home.

Judging by the way his footsteps slowed, it seemed he was already uncomfortable about how close they were. But she chose to take it as a good sign that they had come this far, together. That he had not simply abandoned her earlier.

_Why didn't he?_

His voice was quiet. "Let's skirt around this field. Head southeast." He switched direction then, somewhat abruptly. Pushing her confusion aside, and trying to judge their approximate location, she guessed that the route Sasuke was taking them on was sending them in a circle around Konoha.

"Sasuke… are you… do you not want to go back?"

He stayed quiet, his hands shoved into the pockets of his cloak, a breeze ruffling his hair.

They walked in silence then, for a while. The crickets had begun their songs, though the sun was just setting.

Despite her trepidation, her fear for what was to come, this place still felt_right._

Her memory began tugging at her then as they came to the top of a small hill, emerging from a knot of trees onto an open plain, a scent borne on the breeze; soft, green…

…flowers.

Sasuke looked at her then, almost gauging her reaction. The ever present wariness, the seemingly inborn desire to flee was in his eyes, but mingled now with a strange softness. He stopped walking, waiting for something, looking at her.

"Oh… this is…" Her words were nearly breathless, as she realized where they were.

It was from her dreams. No, from her childhood. A quiet laugh escaped her as she walked down the hill, Sasuke following slowly. The wildflowers were crowded here, pink and yellow and white and blue, up to her knees and waving gently.

She drank it all in. A warmth suffused her as she let it flood back over her.

Somehow, he knew. It was just what she needed.

"No matter what happens… I have to protect this. And the people who are important to me."

Turning, she looked to Sasuke, her expression resolute and determined. He just watched her, eyes never leaving hers.

_Does he understand what I'm saying? Will he accept what is given?_

Smiling, she began picking a few delicate stems. "I was always so terrible at flower arranging. Ino teased me about it…" Gathering the flowers in her hands, she ran her thumb along the petals of a plain white daisy. "Hunh. Maybe… maybe it's all in the wrist." She popped the daisy's head off its stem, and with a wicked grin looked up at Sasuke.

"Huh?" He asked, a split second before something soft lapped his cheek, and a tiny _puff_ of yellow pollen stained his face. "Sakura, what the…"

She simply couldn't help but laugh like a fool as she watched Sasuke dodge all her daisy shuriken with ease. "Hmm, looks like these _do_ make decent shuriken after all!" She continued the volley of projectiles, watching him close in on her now and making no move to dodge.

The ground met her back with a light _thud_ as he tackled her, her hair catching in the flattened flowers as Sasuke fell beside her, smirking.

"Fine, you win," Sakura said, her laughter still touching the words. Her smile faded as she looked at him, so near, and so close to a real smile now. "Thank you for bringing me here."

His breathing was a little more rapid now, the smirk fading.

The words came slowly. "Sakura… I can't go with you." He looked down at her, taking a deep breath. "It's because I have to protect you, that I have to go. He might target you again."

There was hesitance though; and he _had _brought her closer to the village than she ever thought he would…

She reached out then, grabbing his shirt in her fist, long held desperation seizing her. "You can't do this alone. You just _can't!_" Swallowing, she pulled him in closer, her voice low. "I'm prepared to fight you if I have to."

A smile. "You're in no condition to fight." Close enough now for her to feel his breath on her cheek.

The tears she'd been fighting came now, ever since… _"I can't go with you…" _

He was right. She couldn't fight him now, not effectively. But what else could she do? "It doesn't matter. I'll fight you anyway, with whatever I have left. Konoha is _home_, Sasuke, all the people who care about you…"

"Home..." He reached out then, his fingers dashing a tear from her cheek. A look of questioning crossed over his features.

_What else can I do?_

Desperation makes a fool of everyone, sometimes.

Before she could think twice, Sakura pulled him down to her quickly, one hand fisted in his shirt, the other reaching out and curling gently around his neck. Their noses brushed, and she lifted her chin, swallowing hard before their lips met, so softly.

He took in a sharp breath. He was trembling. His eyes closed then, and she closed her own as he deepened the kiss and leaned in to her; her entire body rang with warmth and her heart pounded, emitting a soft sound as she felt his fingers twining in her hair, his other arm wrapping gripping her shoulder tightly. It was as if she could simply melt into him. He pulled her closer still, their bodies flush now as they lay side by side in the field. They kissed, their tongues playing and searching, hands gripping as if they simply couldn't get close enough. She poured all her love into that kiss, every moment of lost time, everything that was warm and soft and human, as the salt of her tears mingled on their lips. Sakura knew, finally; he needed to understand the depth of what she felt, how important _closeness_ was, and words did not suffice. They remained that way, locked tightly, the outside world shut out completely for these few stolen minutes.

He pulled back finally, catching his breath, touching his forehead to hers.

Their breaths were heavy as they looked at each other, the shock still not quite absorbed. The first stars had come out.

"Sasuke, I…"

He shook his head slightly against hers. "You don't need to say anything." His fingers ran through her hair.

Quietly, she did the same, smoothing the short hairs at the nape of his neck. Their bodies were still flush against one another, their chests rising and falling together.

"Are you coming, Sasuke? Or will I go with you?" Quiet.

Unexpectedly, a smirk formed on his lips. "Well, I don't think that's up to me anymore. I can't decide if you're really that devious or if you didn't notice."

Her brows knit. "What? What are you talking about?"

She felt it then. Chakra signatures. Close.

_Oh, kami… I was so focused on Sasuke…_

Her heart raced again, and she flinched backward, but Sasuke pulled her back in to him. "I don't want to become… like him." His jaw clenched. "I _did_ choose to bring you here. I knew there was a risk. I took it."

They stared into each others eyes as the signatures came closer. The footsteps were clearly audible. There had to be at least ten people.

So much unspoken. But she watched him, and his eyes told her what she needed to know.

He rose then, pulling her up with him.

Steeling herself, and taking Sasuke by the hand, Sakura stood her ground as she finally recognized the leader of the group; Kakashi, followed by a troop of masked ANBU.

She looked at Sasuke, seeking courage.

He looked back. "I don't regret it, Sakura."

She would face anything as long as he was with her.

* * *

In a dark room, a man sat at a table, waiting. His fingers stroked slowly over a silver ring on his finger.

He raised his eyes to the center of the table, slowly, as the familiar holographic figure flickered into view.

The vaguely male image spoke. "You've failed again, Itachi. I'm beginning to sense a pattern here."

"He no longer has the curse seal. His power is reduced." The words were flat, his expression blank.

"We could have accomplished that alone much more simply. We need three, Uchiha. Three Mangekyou to break the final seal." Static laced through his words, inflection somewhat lost.

"We will have to find another way."

A pause. "What about Deidara? How did he get away?"

Obsidian eyes cast to the table, Itachi looking almost as if he was bored with the conversation. "It couldn't be helped. Deidara was unnecessary in any case."

"And what if Sasuke returns to Konoha now? The Hokage may be inclined toward leniency; in their eyes, he is the last of the Uchiha bloodline. What if he returns to us next time with companions?"

Itachi did not answer. He raised his eyes to the window, observing the darkness and what few stars he could see through the veil of mist.

His thoughts wandered then to a certain green-eyed woman; he wondered what she was dreaming.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's all she wrote folks. To everyone who stuck with me to the end, and reviewed, and faved and alerted – thank you, _thank you_, a thousand times over. There were many times when I struggled with this, and while I know it's not perfect (I need to get a beta next time), I hope you still think it was worth reading. To those of you who read anyway, despite not much caring for one or the other pairings, the biggest thank you of all; I don't know if people were turned off by that, or if they just thought it sucked, but I am grateful to you all for sticking with me.

Some of the plot was inspired by a massive theory (not my own); I will post a link to it on my LiveJournal if people are interested in reading. As of Chapter 386, it seems like it won't come true, but I don't care ;) If you want more of my blah blah blah (rofl) or just want to say "hi", drop on by.

I am not sure what I'll do next. I don't know about a sequel; perhaps. Maybe I should try something a little lighter next time. Dunno :)

_Thank you_ again.


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